Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-04-15

lately arrived from the states, when my
mare, which / was holding by the rein,
\ gave convulsive shudder and nearly
broke away from me. could not for a
| moment divine what had caused her
| trepidation, for when with me. although
a most highly-mettled animal. she was
usually as docile as kitten.
The moon was nearly over my head,
| and l gazcd around in wonder for some
| minutes to learn the cause of my pet
| animals strange action. Presently, on
looking ut the very center of the cluster
of blasted cedars, saw two great green
eyes staring at me with q steadiness
that was appalling. For i moment
was seemingly fascinated by the un-
canny vision, but in another instant all
sense of possible superstition vanished.
as saw the bushes move and heard
dead twigs lying on the ground crack
as if under the foot of some heavy ami
NAL treading on them. With bated
breath, l saw a monstrous cougar
stealthily crawl out of the tangled mass
of brushwood in a crouching attitude,
its tail slowly oscillating, as does that OF
the domestic cat when watching a
mousehole.
The beast evidently then saw me for
the first time. and. as is natural with the
species, instinctively drew back, as if to
fly from the presence of man. 1t was
my handsome mare the cougar coveted,
but. seeing me, it deferred the fatal
spring it had contemplated at the mo-
ment it's eyes first met mine.
/ soothed Petaiuma as best could,
but her trembling was not in the least
abated, though she rubbed her nose
against my coat sleeve, as was her wont
when l caressed her. She seemed 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 it's proximity.
What had to do, and do quickly, was
to get away from there as soon as posi-
BILE, for l did not know how soon the
ferocious brute, nearly famished with
hunger, maybe, might make an effort to
fasten its horrid claws into the TANKS of
my mare, ignoring my presence entire
from my pipe, and, stroking Petaluma
on the shoulder, mounted her as rapidly
as ever had before in my life, and was
no sooner seated firmly i'll my saddle
than, without a word or other impulse
| from me, she made 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. ..... ...
! sympathetically 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 few rods behind me, following
my trail with a sort 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 it's crouching attitude be-
| hind me had presence OF mind enough
| to think that if / refined my horse and
made her walk, it would impress the
cougar with the fact that 1 was there
as well as the animal it wanted to de-
YOUR for its late supper. Icould thwart
itsdesigns, as felt confident that where
had first seen the cougar, in a mar row
valley, surrounded by lofty mountains,
heavily timbered, the government had
erected n blockhouse and a corral, in
which were herded number of horses
and mules, to be used as relays between
the military posts. .. =
/ hoped that should be able to make
that point in about two hours from the
cluster of ccdars. but now that the con.
gar had entered as factor in my cal
| culations, l did not know whether
should reach the blockhouse at all, or
maybe only on foot, with my beautiful
mares bones left on the trail, pick ed
clean by the vicious beast that was fol.
lowing me.
True to it's instincts, it was really
afraid of me. / succeeded with great
difficulty, however. in coaxing my
/ mare into slow walk, the effect OF
which resulted as surmised 1T would
The cougar ceased at once it's fearful
bounds, and settled down into 4 sham
bling sort of gait, dropping further be.
hind me at the moment.
DESTROYS of knowing for a certainty
whether my tactics were the sudden
cause of the crea lures abrupt change OF
| movement, / allowed Petaluma to
break into quick iope, and the instant
| the huge cat noticed the mares re.
newed effort to get away, it COM
| Inenced it's former action. / then
slackened my gait, and to my intense
satisfaction the cougar once more
Jagged behind, renewing its slow move
| ments, and seemed to be now watch.
| ing the rider closer than it did the mare
l did not again dare to let Petaluma
| go any faster than 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 toward
| US. .s ... a.. e.a
After continuing in that tiresome
manner for about four hours, / at last
entered the little valley, and just as
rode out of the heavy timber into the
l. ,rLt ~