The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-09-29
A ACATAMOUNT FIGHT.
THE MOUNTAIN LION is A VERY VI
clOJs ANTAGONIST.

Against Rock, Did Battle with at Least
Dozen Of the Brutes.
There nre no more vicious fighters in
/ the whole animal kingdom than the
mountain lions Of the northwest" " said
| Major jackson of Spokane. "They com
| bine the cunning and agility Of the cat
( tribe with the strength Of the lion and
/ the ferocity of the tiger.
| Il have never been much of hunter
I but a few years ago l had an adventure
| with mountain lions out in Washington
that gave me enough of hunting big game
| for all time, l had captured some young
deer, elk and foxes and started q small
menagerie on my ranch.
! lone day | was out in the hills looking
! at some timber and near mouth of a
small cave in the rocks l found a young
! lion crawling about on the ground and
whining like kitten It was only few
weeks old, and decided TO take it home
and add 1t to my menagerie. l judged
! that there was nest of the young ami
mails somewhere among the rocks and that
this one had ventured out and got lost
| while the old ones were away.
Il had no trouble in catching it, and
| he was too young to show fight. But as
soon as ! took 1t up In my arms it set up
a dreadful screeching cry, a sort of cross
between the wall Of frightened baby
and the bark of small dog Fearing that
the cries would bring the old lions home
in hurry lost no time in getting away
from the spot where l found my captive.
took off my coat and wrapping up the
cub tried to stop its cries, but it was no
use. 1t only made more noise.
Before had gone 100 yards / heard
the bloodourdling shrek of full grown
lion close behind me, and knew that the
mother of the cub was on my trail Her
cry must have been a call for help. In 10
seconds it was answered as many times,
and the cries came from all directions.
II was surrounded by mountain lions,
and knew that the cry of the cub would
rouse them to fury hated to lose the
expected addition to my menagerie, but l
dropped that lion cub as If 1t had been a
hot brick Instead Of running away, as
thought 1t would, the cub lay down right
under my feet and made more noise than
ever.
Then / started to run to get away
from it, but a swaying Of the branches of
two trees in front of me and a chorus Of
fierce shrieks close behind warned me that
was too late At least dozen full grown
mountain lions, judged, were closing in
around me- and they were there for bust
ness.
Some 10 yards ahead of where 1 stood
/ saw a big rock that rose out of the
ground 10 feet or more, l made dash
) for that rock and reached it Just in time.
Backing up against it faced half score
Of full grown lions and they were as vi
cious looking lot as l ever saw. had
hoped that they would stop when they
found that the cub was safe but they
p didn't. / had my winchester with me
and the chamber was full of cartridges.
when l faced my pursuers, some o.
them were on the ground leaping along
5 like cats at play, while others were in tht
e trees springing from branch to brancl
4 with prodigious jumps They were still
giving vent to their cries, which wor
j. enough to raise mans hair when hear
i at distance All the time they wer
o coming closer, and two Of those on tn
y ground were creeping along ready t.
n spring at my throat as soon as they wer
| near enough
S 1.-THE apparent hopelessness of my situa
o tion seemed to steady my nerves and, tax
d ing careful aim at the nearest lion, fired
:. With a now kind of screech the brut
T leaped five feet into the air and fell bacl
e dead But there was another one on tn
It still advancing.
t A second shot finished that one an
y then / glanced at thosein the trees. say
It two glaring down at me, with their eye
cleaning like balls of fire Both wer
crouching for u spring. l shot the neares
one, and again my bullet reached vita
. spot,
/ Before l could throw out the empt
1t shell heard terrific shriek dying ava
2 to q hoarse growl, right over my head, an
(, then knew that one of the animals wa
d on the rock above me
Z For an instant forgot the one in th
10 tree and jumped away from the rock. A
10 the same instant both lions jumped fc
n me, one from the tree and one from tn
W rock above me. l saw them coming an
re tried TO dodge to one side wheeled aboU
and escaped the full force of their sprinl
Both of them struck me on the shoulder
with their fore feet as they came down, an
h. their long sharp claws tore great furrow
=, In my flesh and left my coat and shil
9 hanging in shreds.
= Tho blood spurted from my wounds
II and l was knocked down by the force
"a the blows. ! closed my eyes as | fell, fax
y, downward aud expected to be torn {
- shrcds in an instant, but to my surpri;
~ the animal did not follow up the attaol
. and as / struggled to my feet their hoars
growing and the sounds of "A teTi1
struggle told me that they were fghun
each other
IL "They had got the smell of blood, anC
r. missing their victim at the first spring, ii
"a fierce brutcs flew at each others throat
OIL ] turned in time TO see the most ferocioI
al combat l had ever witnessed, and in III
IS. excitement of the moment l forgot III
I'd wounds
n The other lions l had seen in the tre,
re were probably frightened away by Il
shots l had fired Anyway they we
gone, and the two that had tried TO mai
meal of me were left to fight their bait
lii to the death without interruption.
sN . / picked up my rifle and again took
.e position against the rock, but the hghtir
ln lions We're no longer aware OF my presenc