The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1894-07-28
OVERTURNED ~ A LION.

ovER-JUMPE0 ~ A LION.
Tho Man Saved His Life and the Be.s.
Missed = Meal.
AS to grizzly BEARS said a Montana
man one evening. recently, ''as to griz-
ely bears. we've got plenty of 'en left
in our country, but unless you are look
ing for them lyou might travel the trails
and byways for five years and not get
sight of old Ephriam. AS big and saw.
age as they are they avoid mankind
when it's possible. I've heard em NOV
ing off in the thickets many a time as
rode along a wild trail, but in fifteen
years l have had affair sight of only
one, and he was anxious to get away
''How about the mountain lion?' was
asked.
''Ah; you've struck quite another
field now he replied. The mountain
lion of the far west is not a lion at all.
you proba bly, know. but is the beast
known in the east as the panther. I
think. however, the western panther
is larger and fercer. At any rate. all
things considered, I'd prefer to face a
grizzly.'
''Ever had any experience"
Eyes. just one. aQd it makes my hair
stand on end to think of it. I'm half
owner of a good, big herd of steers. but
/ wouldn't go through that experience
again for thousand of the latest.
juiciest steers ever rounded up in the
cattle country. You want to hear
book and pencil. My experience
was very brief, and there arc no
names and dates to put down. Look on
the map some day and find Flat Head
lake. Between it and the Rocky noun
tains is n beaobiful valley thirty miles
wide. I've wintered cattle in there and
had them come out fat as butter in
the spring.
Eyes, go on
Zone spring, eight or ten years ago,
I was driving in some 'strays from the
foothills. When cattle begin to shed
their coats they like to get into the tim
Der and rub themselves. About ten
along an Indian trail on the slope of a
hill. 1t was in the timber, with lots of
brush covering the ground. saw cattle
tracks on the trail, and had no thought
for anything else. My mustang was
on the walk and was taking it easy
in the saddle, when I was suddenly
jumped out of my boots. Something
screamed in my. car, and out of the cor
ner of my eye I saw something in the
air. No doubt I ducl<ed, but it was in
stinct. In the same breath there was
great crash in the top of n brush to
my right and below me. and just as my
mustang started on a wild run 1 made
out what the object was
ga mountain lion, sir?"
YES, and a whoppinC big one, and
the snarls, groHvls and screams he ut
tered Gifted me in my stirrups. He
landed in that bush on his back, with
his legs sticking up like posts. but
don't reckon it took him over five sec
.onds to turn rightside up. He may
have started to follow me. though he
was more apt to stink away. but the
mustang would have given him a hard
race. He was wild with fright, and the
way he did smoke along that trail and
get down into the valley would have
made a jack-rabbit wonder how the
wings were fastened on. I held on
and let him go. As a natter of fact,
1.-The lion had jumped for YOU
ale had, my boy. I went up and
figured it out afterward- The beast
had crouched on Il big rock eighteen
feet above me and about twenty-four
feet above the trail. just how close he
came to me I can't say. but I'm GER
tain that he brushed my hat as he
passed over. The duck probably saved
| my life. If he had struck me with the
momentum of such a spring I'd have
been carried out of the saddle into the
bushes. The cuss was lying low for
beef or deer. but when I came along he
thought he had a better thing. AS he
missed me he turned over in the air.
a nd as told you, he la nded .vrong-siolc
up. don't know how mountain lions
feel about such things, but I've always
had the idea that this fellow went Off
kicking himself over the way he got
left. He had overjurnped a good dinner
and couldn't blame anybody but him
self.''-Detroit Free Press.
Flint and finder Still Used.
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