Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-15
COwARDLY MOUNTAIN LIONS.
They VIII Invariably Fly From
MAN.

fFOm lne lsehNer hepubntan-
There is a good deal of humbug in these
stories about the Colorado mountain Hon."
said Sam Van Horn OF West Las Aniras
yesterday. i read yesterday a story about
a lion which two men found had got into
their cabin through an open window. and
knocked one of them down in jumping out
when surprised by their return. Now. up
to that point the story is all right, for the
Colorado puma is as big a thief as there
Is IN the animal kingdom. but when the
story goes on to say that after knocking
one man down IL sprang at the other and
shook him by the coat, l don't believe a
word OF 1t, for the beast is the most cow
ardly of all the cat family OF Colorado +
would a hundred times prefer to meet a
mountain lion than one of the bobtailed
cats that we have down along the Arkan-
sas river. j don't mean 10 say that the
puma won't fight, but before doing so IN
has to be cornered II the track is clear
II Will always run from a man Some
animals will fight when surprised but
never knew puma TO do so. They will
always get away il they have clear
course. But when they do have TO fight
In order to get away they are ugly GUS
tamers' 1 can tell you. They make one
charge with teeth and claws and are gone
IN a Hash, but they can do horrible dam
age In passing over one
one day. In riding up one Of the canons
OF the Purgatoire river. ] saw a small
caron. The herd parted as they CANA
up TO me. and I'm front and not twenty
ieet distant was puma which had been
~ hot pursuit until j appeared on the
scene. Inc puma is fond Of horsefesh
ana horses stand in mortal terror OF them
My horse shvcred with fear and m
peast after Standing for an instant pe~-
fectly still turred and went nm tba ga,
of the canon in great hounds only So,
pihg when II had reached a rocky t.arrp,
Iioin whence IL could watch my movements
WIN safety. One day tramp VINO ~.
been IN my camp two or thre. tiays stared
Tor trinidad from Purgatoire river In
stead or taking the plain river road ne
Went across he roughest country in cr,a-
.ion' 1isree srding our advice, for we ex-
pecled hotnlng but that we would have
10 search for him or TAKE the respnnsibIIi,,,
or his death. He left early in The morn
ing. and soon after noon. when We were ain
IN with a rush that brought every one 10
ms feet in an instant. The fellow Us
GREATNESS with running and as soon az he
eoeld recover his speech told US that d..
mao lost his bearings IN the canons wan-
uereo IN circle. and short time before
had stumbled upon the big spring vi,era
We got our water. Recognizing the To-
cahty' he stopped TO drink, ana as he did
80 ne saw reflected in the pool IN. figure
OF mountain lion as big as NV IL
dian wait to investigate, and broke M.
record as he came down to fh,. canp 90
=, sc We laughed AT him. and affected not
10 believe that he had seen ANYTHING tfy-
ger IMAM jack rabbit. hat ne stuck 20 bTs
STORY ana hnally asserted that there VS.
hot Elan In the camp that dared 10 un
10 investigate. This could moi he ~,
United TO pass. and / at once seized me
buckets and started. The spring was a
quarter OF mile away, and long before
! reached there had forgotten all about
mountain lions. You can Judge OF my
surprise as tending over TO iii my bucket
saw IN the pool the reflection of n Iaf-t-e
puiha win the water dripping from MS
muzzle. l viii not saw Thar T W.. 80,
frightened, but the beast was as badly
frightened as i, for as ! raised up ny
mead threw up my arms and uttered a
III hhe one OF Governor Brushs cattle
yells the animal whirled s,,ranR fuII,,
twenty feet at the first jump ard disap-
peared in an instant. In twenty years
IN lhe mountains / have never come. sud
oeiIy upon a mountain hon that did rot
gel away as rapidly possible"