The Red Cloud chief., 1895-04-12
FEAR OF MAN.
How Two schooiboys In Oregon Kiied
u fountain Lion.

u Mountain Lion.
"a recent letter in theNewYorkSun,
describing the animals of the Patago-
nian plains, narrates some interesting
characteristics OF the puma, or
panther, which are well known to
people in regions where he abounds,"
said the man from the Rockies. This
Information of indisputable accuracy,
upscts some widely spread fallacies
concerning this beast. One of these,
the idea that he regards men as his
natural prey, is prevalent among
people whose notion Of the forest
beasts have been formed from exag-
geratnd stories of the Eastern panther,
u dread topic Of rural tales and Of
boys reading since the first settlers
invaded the North American wilder
ness.
''Thc f%crocity of the pampas puma
toward all other beasts and his gentle
ness or fear in respect to man finds
its counterpart in the mountain lion OF
the Rocky mountain and Pacific coast
ranges. This animal is a larger beast
than his relative Of the Eastern wilder
ness. there known as the panther.
The mountain lion like the pampas
puma. is terribly destructive to other
wild animals and to yuong live stock,
but except in has never fig
urcd as an animal dangerous to man..
Owing to his shyness toward human
beings the mountain lion is rarely
seen by a though sometimes in
mountain Businesses a camper may
hear his wailing cry to his mate by
night. and perhaps detect signs Of his
presence about the camp, which, il
pressed by hunger, he may visit in
the hunters absence and make way
with any meat left carclcssly within
reach. Like the South American
puma the mountain lion is often found
upon the plains. whore his presence is
soon made known to ranchcrs by his
ravagcs among the colts and calves
and sheep. His flesh is white, and
many North American hunters, like
the gauchos, consider it good eating.
.'Thc mountain lion cub makes an
attractive pet until he becomes so
large "a to be formidable in strength.
That point reached, while still amiable
toward his master, he becomes unsafe
for strangers to approach, and his
fierce predatory instincts are invet-
crately displayed toward animals
which are his natural prey. Until
these instincts become manifest,
which usually occurs when the whelp
Is about a year old. he is as playful
ana as gentle as a kitten, and his soft
violet eyes give no warning Of latent
danger Tho cubs are born with
faint markings OF bars and spots,
which disappear Don after their eyes
get open.
This Discrimination Of the puma to
attack man is often attributed to COW
ardicc, though an animal should
hardly DO termed cowardly which vii
risk combat with the grizzly bear, a.
the puma is known to do.
$50 cowardly is the mountain
lion.' said j. b. Treadwcll, OF Cali
fornia, who has often killed them
that more than nee when ] hav,
shot one i'm a tree wounding him 81
badly that he fell to the ground. in
stead of attacking mo he ]endcavorcC
3 to creep away And an Oregon
schoolmastcr tells OF two boys, pupil
at his school, who gave n morning
as the cause of their hardness tina
they had stopped to kill u mountain
lion on the way to school. At sigh
of them the animal had taken to
| tree, and, while n boy watched hir
to see that he did not escape, tn
l other went back home for the gu
t with which they killed him."