The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-19
A CLOSE GALL.
A Young Hunters Awful Surprise
and Successful Struggle for Life.

and who stopped at the Windsor hotel last
night, waiting for a conveyance home.
"Oh, | have had great time l went
away out in Texas to Buchel county.
wish some Of you fellows could see that
county. | know of one ranch out
there with $4,000 acres in it. and
Travelled along seventy-five miles of
5-strand wire fence, all IN one piece. |
stopped at Marathon, nice little railroad
town, and an old friend OF mine met me
there. By the way, you fellows ought TO
know him. Hamilton his name Is-John
| Hamilton He was q clerk in the post
office here years ago. John has a sneep
ranch ont there now, part his own and
part leased from the state, and is doing
pretty well, l should judge.
| ''On the way out TO the ranch John said.
| Now, Frank, you can just turn yourself
loose out on the ranch, and shoot all you
want TO, provided you don't kill any of the
people. The wild oats and panthers and
lions are killing my sheep off at great
rate. and the more of them you can get
away with the better I'll like it, Thus
encouraged L began my hunting.
hunt led TO the killing Of large wild
cats which caught in the very act of de
vouring a 2 months-old lamb, and on the
| way home l shot lobo wolf skuking
through the chaparral. 1 considered that
pretty good beginning myself, AS the
| tlIl6 Wbub On L D6kdn 70 buluR bDdb Jne
wild animals in that section would certainly
| be considerably scarcer after u little Of
my polite attention. But my, they are
thick out there No wonder those folks
! fought so hard for a scalp law. They need
it, tell you.
lone day John had to go over to Marathon
on business, and as didn't care to take the
ride took my gun instead and climbed up
into the moutains that stretched away back
| Of the ranch. This was new territory, but |
knew that those rocky Rorges must be the
| hiding place OF many OF the wild animals
| that had been 80 destructive to Johns flocks.
| And yet it happened that walked a long
way, and climbed about great deal without
seeing a sign OF any game, except that two
| or three times, as marched along ravines or
clambered over rocks, l caught a glimpse
| of something moving on the slope about
thirty feet above me. It was mere
| glimpse, and the first time / thought per-
haps l was mistaken, but afterward be-
came convinced that some large animal was
stealthily gliding along up there, perhaps
only awaiting an opportunity to spring
| upon me. Now this wasn't pleasant, of
course, and | walked up that way, keeping
an eager lookout, and holding my gun
ready.
| at was no use. l didn't see the animal
at all. After searching around considera-
bly, gave it up and went back to the ravine,
which had been 10 wet weather the bed OF q
! raging mountain torrent, as | could see.
And while l strolled along there at my
leisure, looking this way and that
for anything that might be worth
You heard about that rain, didn't youl
| That was the one that broke the long
drought. 1t had been cloudy for a good
| little bit, but never thought of rain, you
know, and was 10 my shirt sleeves. And
l tell you it came with vengeance-per-
| fect sheets of water-and 1 ran up the
ravine with all my might Co find a shelter
of a rock or thick bush that would at
| least protect me little. Pretty soon right
up above me yawned a great opening in the
| side of the cliff an irregular hole, fully six
| feet high and wider than it was high, and /
scrambled in only too gladly, without ask
| ing any questions.
There was a large room with sandy
| floor, and dark clefts in the corner showed
| where passages led on to other chambers,
| but wasn't on an exploring expedition that
| day. | was already pretty well drenched
with rain, and it was good enough fun for
me to sit down under that safe shelter and
see the rain pouring outside. l noticed that
| there was terrible odor coming from
some Of those inner recesses, so lit cigar
to help drive it away-a real Texas
cigar, you know-and CAT as near
| the door as | could, looking out.
was much surprised to discover,
after a little, that the rivulet which had
been running down the ravine when
climbed into the cave was now roaring and
dashing over the rocks In fine style, and
hasty calculation showed me that it must be
at least four feet deep. AS l could not get
out Of the cave without getting into the
| ravine this made it interesting, you know.
l leaned forward and was intently watch
Ing the water line on the opposite bank,
when all at once felt that some thing was
| behind me.
"Now soc here, boys, it's no use laugh
| ing. l don't hear a sound-not rustic, not
the cracking of a twig-nothing except the
| roar of that torrent outside-but felt that
something was behind me. and looked over
my shoulder just as a man would LOOK for a
ghost, suppose. And there. creeping for
ward, its long body almost sweeping the
| ground, its ears hattened back, its cruei
| head lowered, was an immense Mexican
lion. l thought had seen big ones before,
| and that's what makes me say this one was
Immense. Now, if had been looking for
that lion, and had come upon it, wouldn't
have been frightened at all. But the very
thought Of having sat there with my back
to the creature while it crept up as a cat
would creep up on a sleeping bird unnerved
me for minute so that | did not stir.
| During that moment the cougar had settled
back on its launches a little, and with a
wavering motion was getting ready TO
spring.
THAT sight brought me to my senses,
and l snatched my gun from where 1t had
been standing against the wall near me- l
was not a moment too soon. The huge yell
low body came through the air as though it
were hurled from cannon, and, though
my shot struck IL, it knocked me up against
the wall, and the creatures claws left me
marks that l never will get rid of. It's terri
BILE cry when it fell rang through the cave
and echoed until l didn't know whether it
was one voice or twenty. and the wounded
crature went dragging itself along in such
agony that put an end TO its misery
! Then, setting my empty gun down against
the wall, tore my handkerchief into strips
and began trying TO bind up my wounded
/ arm.
81 was so much absorbed in this that
didn't notice anything was near me-in fac
it never occurred to me that there might be
more than one animal in the cave, and it
was just an accident, or maybe Providence
had something TO do with il. that | glanced
around toward the motionless body of the
lion that had come 80 near putting an end
to my existence. AS l looked around l
! lodged, and 1 did it quick, too, for was
| just in time 20 see the mate of my dead cougar
couch and spring. The sudden stoop made
caused her to GO clear over my head and
and she went headlong into the raging tor