The sun., 1897-02-14

led close along the sid 9 wall OF the cation.
/ though to me It's slightly dusty surface seemed
merely a blurred thread of hopSlesslT mixed
tracks of many different kinds of animals.
TN some parts OF this path could walk up
right Int on other parts the over-archinr bushes
obliged us. through the necessity Of making no
ru~tIing. 20 creep forward on hands aud knees.
TINS not oniy rendering our progress very slow.
defence in case any Wild beast should take a
notion 10 attack u. Hut this consideration did
not tronbe us. "a we had seen no signs ol
grizzly bears and knew that no other Wild crra-
tute thetesbout would voluntarily face two
grown men.
For nearly an hour we toiled along the dark
sweliering. windless ravine without seeing "A
living creature. Thea came 20 little side
bios ed up by fragments OF fallen rock that
nothlns lnrger ihen rat could hMbor there.
suddenly spranv to his fs-t and said:
ATTY feet nt Us. smell hin quite pls.niy.'
There was u small open space here. and.
though wondering where bear could be cna-
ccnled. ! ranged myself by Carson, eide. had
barely done 40 whea from behind = prest rock.
whose upper edge rested against the vertical
chn all enormous stlyer.ttp grizzly emerged
and with h,azinr eyes and hoarse. gurgllne
roar rushed At IL opcn.
STEADY; just above the eyes" quietly said
rny comradc, aud the next instant the monster
lay dead with two bullets through it- brain.
Ordinarily tbs kill would have been thought
piece OF good iuck. but row IL .eeiacd just the
leaders a pair Of l.groWa cougar. Gurst from
cover not thirty feet away and were out OF sight
before We could slip Ia fresh cartridges or draw
"Confound the bear" said Carson; "f'd rather
have Killed those lions than dozen like him.
But never mind: well get them set. Meantime,
we NAV as well peel old Ephraini."
When this trou ubI-some job was done. and tho
reach ot wolves. we took different paths and
began TO beat down the ravine again. We could
not ind the cougars ard had cone almost with.
in sight Of the cleared space wher, we had lei,
tue horses aud mule. when the report Of Bar
ney's his smoothbore ranGput like that Of a SIX
M nter nd M ffnF haN all aA.
Help There's - coup 10 OF murtherin'
basthes sneak n ontii me. an me guns mpty."
The lions" exclaimed Carson a. we rushed
out into the open glade. to the horses strain
ing trantically on their lariats. the mule trot-
ting honrward. aad Barney covering ia abject
terror, crossing himself ana moaning.
We could see no cause for his alarm.
asked.
Sorra wan Av ps knows, sor. But they was
beyant thin bushes whin ond Jack got socht
av thin. wavin' their tails an l.ckin their chops
loik- they'd ATE him. whole all the time 1t was
mesiif they was afther. because ORA Iev thin a
Look out there. called Carson. they are
running under cover alter the mule" pointing
motion among the wayside bushes.
Chtying the horses. we spraus to saddle and
were ur In hot pursuit. but too late TO save
by us. the two lions Uroke cover aud one At his
throat and tie other at his Hank. pulled the
Hold up. said C.r.on. "th, mschirf, done.
Let them settle down on their prey. Too much
brush IN the way u make "A sure shot.
- for II minute or two we sat quiet in our
saddles watching the brutcs until they became
wholly preoccrpied with their feast. Then we
rode forward To within twenty live yards.
Now" whispered Carson. you take the one
on the right and I'll drop the other.
AZ the sgnultaneous crack of our rides the
cougar fired at by Carson. tho male. stretched
itself out In death with scarcely 4 quiver: but,
a a't.rwart found. the eeva,Inr leaf Of my
rides hack sight had got raised. and Ientrely
oyershot my marx. Thereupor. the surviving
cougar maidrncd by the taste OF blood. or By
the loss VI her mate, uttered humhnliGe
fourth OF which would have brought her to my
throat But that leap was never completed, for
while the creature was in mdair, Carson fred
two rcvotyer shots quick A. lightning. and she
haviH. struck the very centre of her chcst.
ratler neat performance" SAID. I'D
hardly got my own plsiu! out "t the holster"
"Oh, that's nothing" replied Carson: "prac-
the shot from you, but there WAS no time to
lose. as the brute might have hurt your horse"
Barney. rHntins AMI blowing like a stranded
grampu-, now cauIe up on the run. and was sent
OF by Carson after the bear skin.
After 81 knniLg the cougars set of for
home, regulating our pace To BArney's speed ia
walkins Poor Barney did not long remain a
ETeenhorn. soon the old sfnoothbore gave place
TO u ride and. iutored by his employer. he be-
came askilful hunter as well a. II fearless Indian
tighter. Hu died while tryug to save his
masters property. Carson h mself told me the
story about two years after our hunt he
had sent Barney out in charge OF large flock
Of sheep destined for the California market On
the way Barney and hts fellow herdsmen were
who. after long battle. slaughtered all but ono
Of the men, This one. on getting back to tho
ranch. tod him that Barney. after his ammuni-
iion was gone. had continued to teht Ike tiger
and. with hi. heavy rife barrel, had killed 10 a
hand. hand combat six OF the savages before
lac fell WILLIAM THOMSON.