The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1898-08-27

a LION IN A GAVE.


Old Rat's Feat 8spsatsA by 1an WEE
a5E 8taiy Had sLoss Colt.
Que OF the many incidents OF bravery
or foolhardiness occurring in Colorado
took place near DebeQue, Mesa county,
in the spring of 1886. At that time the
Roam Creek Toll Road company owned
and was operatingla q toll road through
the Hogbackl canyon. between Grand
Junction and the Garfield county line,
and the superintendent was a young
man by the name OF John A. Rhone, a
printer by trade. but who proved to be
a careful and competent officer CT the
company. The country through which
the road ran Is wild and picturesque
one, and in those days the rugged cam
yons were fairly alive with mountain
lions, cowardly but destructive AMI
NAL. ard +! sftS55i5 f@ bt}
To maintain the road the company
kept several horses, among which was
a fine blooded Kentucky mare, which
the president of the company had Sc
cured from d passing emigrant In ex-
change for another horse. The mare
was turned out with some of the com.
pany's horses which were not then in
use, and In snort time she dropped
la fine colt. The mare and colt wera
progressing finely, until one morning
| the entire band came rushing wildly
down from the hills to the toll CAMP
| The colt was missing, and the mares
side was covered with blood and the dis
| tinct impressions OF the claws OF q
| mountain lion, which evidently made
spring. hut not getting firm hold
simply scratched down the mares side,
leaving q deep, bleeding trail OF each
claw, -fa
The sight OF the mare painting, fright
ened and bleeding and the loss OF the
colt so enragcd Rhone that he immedl-
ately seized his Winchester and started
out for the scalp of the mountain lion
which had done the mischief. By fol-
lowing the trail of the horses he soon
found the place where the brute had
seized the colt, and then it was not dif-
ficult to follow the course the lion had
taken with its prey. Turning abruptly
around ledge of rocks he surprised the
lion making breakfast from the re-
mains of the colt. Before he could rnise
his Winchester to fire the e'beast retreat
ed into cave in the rocks. Not to lose
his game, Rhone Immediately built a
fire and attempted to smoke it out, but
that failed, so, raking the embers awcy
4 fror, the mouth Of the cave, Rhore pro-
ccedetl to crawl into the lions den on
his hands and knees, but soon the en-
trance got so small he had to lie down.
and finally his body filed the entire cav
lity. 5..#.. 4ea ssl.
! Just then he heard a growl. and inn
| mediately before him he could see what
Iappeared. to be two balls OF fire. Rails
ing his Winchester asmuch as he could
and aiming at the space between the
leyes, he fired. There was roar and
spring, but young Rhone was out Of
harms way Proceeding back to camp.
he procured rope and the colorcd cook
called Punch, and they dragged his lion
Lship ignominiously forth by the feet.
TThe beast was monster in size, but it's
day OF depredations were over. Rhone
is now one OF the proprietors of the New
Era Standard, at Kearney, Neb., and is
living a quiet and religious life. And
Punch, the happy coon who worked for
the company for several years as cook.
is now selling hot .tomales ut Cripple
lCreek.-Denver Field and Farm.