The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-07

Lariat a Ferocious Beast That
Sprang Upon Them From
the Roadside.
Give Spurs to Their Horses and Drag
o the Animal to a Nearby
Ranch.

SAN DIEGO, CAL, Dec. 6.-Char les
Hobbs knows much more about mountain
lions than he did three days ago. So does
Charles Griffin, young man of the same
age. The two boys, accompanied by Mrs.
Hobbss Charles mother, were on their
q. 'way.on horseback to the Griffin ranch in
.. Green Valley, forty miles east of this city,
o on.Fridav. They had reached a lonely
. part of the road in little canyon branch
fn'g.in two ways, leaving the road ahead of
.tEFm concealed by a sharp turn in the
cAsyon, when the two leading horses, rid
4 f. by Hobbs and Griffin, snorted and
t4ted TO whirl. Both the young men are
: expert.horsemen and they kept their seats
and.foroed the horses ahead. Keeping a
sharp lookout under the shadowy brush
young Hobbs rode ahead, meantime draw
ing his revolver.
Suddenly, without warning, big noun
tain lion Ieaped out toward him, not utter
ing a roar until it was in the air. 1t
q" landed on the horses foreshoulder and
used its claw instantly to rip and tear at
g Hobbs long leather boot. Fortunately the
leather was thick and resisted the claws
until the rearing of the horse dislodged
sthe lion. Hobbs fired at about the same
time but his shot missed.
There was a great commotion among
The horses and their riders. Mrs. Hobbs,
though q brave woman, shrieked when
she saw her sons danger and was unable
TO control her horse, which reared and
turned, trying 10 run away. Young
Griffin ran to assist her, knowing Hobb
could handle the big cat with his gun.
But the evening shadows were so deep
that Hobbs could not see plainly enough
to'get fatal shot, especially as his horse
was going through such acrobatics.
Leaving Mrs. Hobbs safely in the road,
Griffin hurried forward to assist his COM
panlon. Together tGey started into the
clump of bushes where the great yellow
cat was skulking. They saw its form in
distinctly, and could have killed it, but
Griffin proposed that they capture it
alive
How" asked Hobbs.
We'll" replied Griffin, II will go back
yard or two, and you ride up and draw
the big cuss out at you. When he jumps
eout away from those bushes 1 will lasso
him with my lariat."
The programme was instantly carried
out before the brute had chance 10 re-
treat. Griffin dropped back, getting his
lariat in readiness while Hobbs, getting
Pine word, dashed toward the lion like an
apache. His tactics had the desired
effect. The lion, with scream of rage,
}eaped out of the thicket, and in another
bound was at the horses nostrils. Griffin,
with the experiences of trained horse
man, darted forward on his horse and let
the, lariat fly. 1t circled around the body
of the lion and drew taut, while, with a
characteristic cowboy yell, Griffin sent
the spurs home and dashed past Hobbs,
dragging the lion over and over in the
dust, while it spit, clawed and screeched.
Hobbs rode back and got his mother,
ard together they followed Griffin, VINO
went at a rapid gait so az TO keep the
Iariat taut. Whenever the lion showed
signs of attacking Griffin or his horse
Hobbs would run up and tease it, distract
ing IS attention from the man in front.
In this fashion the big lioI was taken to
the Griffin house. The boys called to one
of the men inside to get lariat, which
was done, and five minutes later the
tawny captive was growing and grumb-
ling inside heavy box. He has not been
measured, as no one cares TO get his hands
100 close to the razor-lke claws. but the
mountain people say he is the biggest one
seen in these parts for years and they &C.
count for his ferocity on the theory that
his mate had been killed.