Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-06-02
HUNTING THE PUMA.


Within, the dying fire cast fantastic
CLEANS across the uneven hearthstone.
whispering low with its Pickering
tongues 10 the hound that lay stretched
before IL. until he whimpered In his
sleep. Without, we three-Jack Jen-
Try. Juan, our half-breed guide. and
prone upon our blankets. smoked our
evening pipes, and gloried in the bless
inss OF air. color and scenery bestowed
~ Natures lavish hand in this New
Lie ran with even flow among the
great peaks and upon the broad plains
before US. ana each day the very Joy
OF existence sent the full-puised blood
pounding through our veins.
10 eat. TO ride to sleep, TO breathe
the invisible champagne OF the plateau,
ana feast the vision upon the beauty OF
mountain, cliff and forest; to ride the
hAlI-wiid bronco that spurned the
earth beneath him, and TO hunt the
elk, the bear and the mountain lion;
TO sleep beneath the great dome OF
star-studded heaven, that all night long
seemed TO throb with penrly light,
and music too celestial for human
ears; these were all blessings that
made life worth the living.
Through the soft twilight fell the
weird cry OF a belated sandhin crane,
ana new and again the querulous
bark Of a wandering coyote rasped the
ear.
knocked the ashes from my pine
and turned TO Jack.
I'm early in, for we must make a
start before the sun is up 10 reach the
spring in time, Juan. you're sure the
lion does not drink until noon7"
The lndian-MeNican opened his thin
! lips, removed the corn-husk cigarette
that dried his savage blood eighteen
hours out OF every twenty-four. and
rpuitpds
Isl. slgnor. not before. The puma
Z sleep all day except Just one drink,
| and that he find when the sun full
high"
And II We ambush on the north and
east sides OF the canyon one of us
will surely have shot"
Isl, signur."
| Jack turned laZlly on his blanket.
why kin the brute. Francols2 He
/ loves life, Strange how easily we
| snap the golden cord that no fingers
| have yet learned To retle, What Is life,
that al should so cling to IT. or death,
that AL should fear M
| Jack cried rising. you should
nave peen Philosopher. cyhlc'
/ stole. an occultlst-nny ming IN iact.
/ nut hunter what nave you eaten
To-Day thnt ulsagress WIN YOU
MY friend laushed as ne pleW cIouu
from MS lips
MT ...,,.. 49,. . ar.
| Ihe nhnrhotNa WeTc sWuhS, hc
| hound tethered AZ the open door, US
| Euntu, nnu nall an huut I"ter hcep
ruied wlth'h me slieht uanin'
| A dozen mics Gown the Sniaul u
| bit OF rugged canyon cuts lia way
| through the siopihs pam ana some
| where WITHIN us denaely-wooded thlek-
| CTS was the lalr OF thS monster puma
! or. as the animal " better known to
/ Americans. mountain lion. HAIR a
D a
/ weeks we had seen the beast,
but never had been able 10 get
J within range. Close TO the mouth
I Of the canyon, ana where u Wldencu 20
| a little park as IL dehouehed into INC
valley Of the Salado, was beautiful
spring, and Mt this spring Juan as
/ sured us, from the sign, the puma was
daily wont TO drink,
Our plan was TO ambush this-its
distance from either side being less
than two hundred yRrds-and when
the animal came at noon TO kill him.
In order successfully to do so, we
must leave our camp early, make sure
OF our positions on opposite sides OF the
gprlng under cover, and then await the
coming OF our game.
Just as the first lances Of light. bril-
were piercing the mists OF the morn
ing, Jack and !. after a hearty break
sast We're in mo saddle. ana began
our ride Ia the CANYON.
| Ty,n bo,,rs guaiced 10 roach the little
nar,r JncioslnT Inc sprlng. and dts
| mounting we tethrred our horses half a
mile from the proposed ambush, down
tbe wind. amid luNurlant feed and
within easy reach OF water. Then eau
tlously we approached the field OF ac-
lion.
The fringe Of timber and chapparral
which covered the walls Of the canyon
al this point formed almost circle,
broken only where II touched the banks
OF the saiado, inclosing an irregular
space OF perhaps ffty acres, near tho
centre of which was the spllls. 1ach
was to lie in walt on the nearest side,
while l was 70 work down the river
and Into the opposite cover eheh seen
ing to place himself In the most ad-
vantageons position 20 OBTAIN sno'
at anything approaching the water
Leaving my companion. with all poa.,
slble care l proceeded to my point OF
ambush, and without mueh uouplt
secured spot wen protected IRON, une
rays OF the sun ana FROM view, wnetS'
partly resting against .ryc' Anu ply :.
tered on either sue ana IN iron. Dy
SCRUB eeaar, Sps., IL snri,,c a,d III
bush, l could see thY sp,I ,.l ui'u ~, ~
surroundings 1nen 1 SoIlp i''s
SELF rihe N manu. AV' s'''s Va
silent watchlhE' ....-,, ,,..t, ,na.o
After long ahu Meis wei ~ a.
fell upon me HiVet ~. ~. 70.
sire TO sleep, thnl, uIIeu ~ ", " 80,
ing silence, me 81. , AZ, W. ',,sj H.
light anu my 49, it,,9sht ain, al,
ly 10 conquer me- h9'wl,hs .i.n st a" j.,
my efforts u".Su e., -, ~ !,