Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-08-25

fly from the presence of man. 1t was
nv handsome mare the cougar coveted,
but, seeing me, it deferred h fatal
spring it had contemplated at the mo-
ment it's eyes first met mine.
1 soothed Petaluma as best I could,
but her trembling was not in the least
abated, though she rubbed her ose
against my coat sleeve, as was her wont
when 1 caressed her. She seemed a lit
tie more passive-that is, she did not
attempt those frantic jumps in her eff
forts to get away that at first character
lied her terrible fright when she
smelled the cougar. or by some instinct
became aware of its proximity.
What / had to do, and do quickly, was
to get away from there as soon as posi-
BILE, for I did not know how soon the
ferocious brute, nearly famished with
hunger, maybe, might make an effort to
fasten it's horrid claws into the TANKS of
my mare, ignoring my presence entire
ly. So 1 hurriedly knocked the tobacco
from my pipe, and, stroking Petaluma
on the shoulder, mounted her as rapidly
as 1 ever had before in my life, and was
no sooner seated firmly in my saddle
than, without a word or other impulse
from me, she made a bolt down the
trail that nearly threw me over her
head, at the same instant seeming to
shrink convulsively in a frantic effort to
look behind her.
/ alphabetically turned my head
around and gazed at the bare hilltop
this side of the blasted cedars, and, to
my horror, saw those great green eyes
but a few rods behind me, following
my trail with a sor of crouching.
crawling motion. all ready, evidently,
to spring the moment it had covered
the right distance.
When l noticed that the cougar was
crawling in its crouching attitude be-
hind me I had presence of mind enough
to think that if l refined my horse and
made her walk, it would impress the
cougar with the fact hat / vas there
as well as the animal it wanted to de-
YOUR for it's lat supper. 1codld thwart
itsdesigns, as l feltconfident that where
l had first seen the cougar, in a narrow
| valley, surrounded by lofty mountains
heavily timbered, the government had
erected n blockhouse and a corral, in
which were herded a number of horses
| and mules, to be used as relays between
the military posts.
hoped that l should be able to make
that point in about two hours from the
cluster of ccdars. but now that the cou'
gar had entered as a factor in my cal.
culations, / did not know whether ]
| should reach the blockhouse at all, OIL
maybe only on foot, with my beautiful
mares bones left on the trail, picked
| clean by the vicious beast hat was fol
lowing me.
True to it's instincts, it was really
afraid of me. l succeeded with great
difficulty, however, in cooking my
mare into a slow walk, the effect OF
which resulted as 1 surmised 1T would
The cougar ceased at once its fearful
bounds, and settled down into a sham.
bling sort of gait, dropping further be
| hind me at the moment.
DESTROYS of knowing for a certainty
whether my tactics were the suddeT
cause of the creatures abrupt change OF
movement, 1 allowed Petaluma to
break into a quick iope, and the instant
the huge cat noticed the mares re
newed effort to get away, it com
Inenced its former action. 1 ther
slackened my gait, and to my intense
satisfaction the cougar once NOR,
Jagged behind, renewing its slow move
ments, and seemed to be now watch
ing the rider closer than it did the mare
i did not again dare to let Petalums
go any faster than a walk. and during
the whole IL miles to the blockhouse
as long as 1 maintained that slow gait
the cougar did not try to spring towart
us.
After continuing in that tiresomt
manner for about four hours, / at las
entered the little valley, and just as
rode out of the heavy timber into thu
bright moonlight, the terrible beast
gave one awful roar and turned bacl
into the forest, a sad and disappointet
cougar.
1 changed animals at the blockhous,
and rode on to the river without fur
ther adventure, happy in having saved
my beautiful Petaluma, and possibly
myself, from h jaws of the hungr,
beast, which had been my unwelcom,
companion for so many weary miles.
a&h>. CA.--