Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-11-03

she Was Teaching Her Cub How to AT
tack a Man,

De,50H free Press.
There we're I've Of us encampinR at
the base OF Chickasaw mountain, Mon
tana, and / had given nv ankle > bad
twist and was laid up for repairs. We
had a shanty in the edge Of the thlcket,
and before leaving camp after dinner
the bows slung me up hammock be-
tween TWO cedars AID helped me into IL.
We had ahalf- breed FOR a cook snd all
around man, and SO / was not TO DO left
Above. / smoked a couple OF pipes
after getting into the hammock,
bad some conversation with jim
about the horses and the
supply OF food, and before realized
that 1 was even sleepy l had departed
for the land OF nod. Ths half breed
saw that / slept and went over 10 the
grazing ground, half a mile away, 20
see that all was right with the horses.
He meant 10 return az once, but found
diversion and delay 10 setting snarss
for the hares he saw running about.
slept for perhaps half an hOuI-not
more. When / awOke 1 was still lying
on my right side and faciog the heavy
growth Of cedars clothing the base OF
the mountain. There was no yawning
or stretching; 1 simply opened my eyes
and was wide awake. Nv head was
elevated so that / could see about me,
aud my eyes were scarcely open when
they fell upon a mountain lion and her
cub advancing upon me. The shanty
was 10 the west OF me aud about TWO
rods away. To the south, and about
the same distance, was a "Wlckup'
OF brush for the cook and his camp 1re.
The lionsss and her cub we're advancing
from the east They need not pass the
shanty nor the FIRE TO reach me. They
were out OF the undeTbrush and into
the open, and had probably had their
eyes on me for ten minutes before j
awOke. While the hammock seemed TO
puzzle them, the mother at least had
the scent OF q man ia her nOstrilS and
her actions went 20 show that she
meant 10 attack me. The cub was
about half grown, aud 1 had not had
my eyes on the pair thirty seconds when
concluded that the mother Was coach
Ing him. When / awOke be was ten
feet behind her and acting as II be
meant 70 run away. She cOaXed
and threatened him by turns until
he advanced TO her side. She then
crouched down and wormed herself
along the ground aud gave him lesson
ia advancing upon his prey. AT the
end Of twelve or fifteen feet she looked
back and grOWled and switched her tall
and be reluctantly initiated her, This
brought them to within thirty feet OF
me, with the ground sill clear.
Had / started up aud shouted for jim
the lions might have run away or the
mother might have attacked ne. Their
presence was proof that l was alone Ia
the camp, and the fact that was prac-
tically helpless decided me 20 wait.
The return OF the cook would Brighten
them away, and expected them 10 hear
his whistle or voice any minute. The
The liOness advanced another ten feet
and after considerable persuasion
the cub followed. IL was
plain that be had never
stalked big game before aud did not
feel sure Of himself II the mother had
not held him up 70 his work he would
have turned tail = dozen times over.
She must have seen that my eyes were
wide open, but as kAsy perfectly quiet
] doubt II she beW whether / was
awake or aslee A. the distance OF
twenty feet touched down with
her hind feet her, switched her
tail from side 2, showed her yell
low fangs, al knew that she was
about 70 sprin pr idea was 70 give
her cub less yarg Rttscking, and he
watched every movement and prepared
to initiate. think the mother made
though she moved so swiftly that
] was not sure. She cleared the ham
mock like ball sailing through the air,
and struck the ground 10 return TO the
cub and demand THAI be go through the
same motions he DOT down and made
one spring which left him ten feet
away, AID then skuIked back. The
mother flew at him aud gave him a blow
with her paw which rolled him over and
over and made him whine and cry like
3 puppy. He lay iPr time on bis back
with his feet in the air, and then she
advanced him seven or eight feet and
forced him 10 coy ch down for another
spring, !
The question: with me now was
whether the Cub would 90 over the
hammock Or Night upon me, but before
] could decide It he made his spring and
went undeE it. IL was about thirty
inches abo4e the ground, and he grazed
the nettinglas be passed u0der. 10 was
q false spri bg, and be had no sooner re-
turned TO the old lady than she 0Owlsd
him over az bin aud Dit him so savsgely
that be yslped with the pain. He
started to r9n away, but she forced
him 20 return, and then CrOuehed
down TO show him how
Il should be done. The dis
tance she too was fourteen feet, and l
believe IL was her design 70 come down
on TOP OF me.\This time her claws were
expOssd. and she had eyes OF fire. Ouly
a few secOads vhere given me In which
10 make up mylmind. / was about 70
start up and bout az the top OF my
lungs when be sound of Jim's
voice reached my ears He was
singing as be r rned. The hOness and
her cub caught sounds at the same
instant. and th st once ran away.
The mother ar boxed this way and
that 10 surDris alarm, aud present
" as the sound OOtSteDS came TO Us
she tusned tail bolted for cover at
a much faster than the cub had
gone. / am As ed % add that when
all danger had sSed-when the lioness
was half q mil yaWay aud Jim was close
a. haud-I> played the badly act and
tainted dead away. None Of the crowd
ever knew it, though, for jim
looked into the hammock aud
thought I had fallen asleep and
/ was careful to conceal that
part Of the incident from the boys
when ID came In. My excuse is that
IL was ew sensation 20 be stalked
bYamd main lion. and that ! was as