The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-04-23
ENCOUNTER WITH COUGARS.
Triumphs of Forest Craft Over the
Cunning Beast

Cunning Beast.
An old mountaineer resident of these
many years in the forests of the Olypic
range of Washington, once had an adj
venture with a pair of cougars in that
locality which very clearly illustrates
the cunning and pertinacity of this
branch of the feline tribe when in
quest of meal According to his story,
he set out in the early hours Of GER
tain suspicious June morning for a
group of meadows, swamps and
springs or 10 miles distant, and near
the summit of the range, for the pur-
pose of bagging an elk. The whole
face of the country was at that time,
and still is, except where culled over
by the logger" one immense forest
towering yellow frs and giant imper-
ishable cedars, which latter, by the
way, have frequently been found good
single timber after lying prone on the
earth for term of years reaching well
up into the hundreds, as evidenced by
the ring growths of other monarchs of
their kind that have grown over them.
In traversing such country as this,
If one is so determinate as to pursue
a fixed course, he will at times find 1t
necessary to Chamber over fallen trees
that have piled up in puzzling confus-
ion, to walk slippery poles and logs at
uncomfortable distance from the
ground, or to adopt the safer method
of crawling bear fashion through any
openings that change may present.
The professional hunter and mountain
eer, who is usually opposed to any I'M
called for exertion on mis- part, instinc-
lively avoids these forest tangles and
strides along in the great mystical
shadows and semi-twilight as though
in the open plain, for in many locali-
ties, as it was of one of which we write,
great stretches, SO to speak, may be
encountered where little or no under
brush except the inevitable knee-high
sallal, impedes the progress of the
hunter. However, at intervals in any
of these mountain forests marshy
places of few acres in extent will be
met with here and there, where the
larger trees have yielded, in a meas
ure, to the rights of the alder thicket
with itsfnumerous specimens of rank,
broad-leafed plant life; and here it is
that the hungry cougar often lies fati-
gably as ever.
Our hunter, in anticipation of great
rounds of elk steak broiled on the Goals
swung rapidly along in the direction of
the distant meadows, ejecting by the
wayside from time to time with a thur
oughly business air, the delicious juice
of his favorite brand Of chewing to-
bacco. Several miles had been cover
ed in this careless fashion, when pres
emily he became aware that he was be-
ing Swallowed by a pair of cougars. BY
treading with a little more caution he
was enabled to distinguish the noise of
their footballs at no very remote dis
lance as they sprang with great bounds
from cover to cover, in their endeavors
to keep fairly abreast their intended
victim until a favorable opportunity
should occur to pounce on him. Our
hunter kept q close though covert
watch on their movements, and could
easily, at divers times, have dispatched
both Of them, but refrained from do
ing So partly out Of curiosity, partly
for the sport of the thing. To say the
least, their actions were interesting,
and as they kept at a respectful dis
lance, afforded no small diversion to
they Unanswered SO adroitly and kept
at such a discreet distance that no one
but an experienced mountaineer, well
skilled in animal craft would have
known of their vicinage. When he
paused in his walk they instantly
crouched to earth while peering eau
tiously and intenly over the low shrub
berry with which, strange to say, their
coats blended to perfection, or from be-
hind the trunk of some giant tree
where the color blending was just as
remarkable. When he forged ahead
they kept pace with his footsteps, or
casionally making most incredible
leaps with the evident intention of es-
Gaping observation. And when any OF
the numerous alder springs fell in the
way they ran around and hid them
selves therein, no doubt thinking as
the day advanced the unsuspecting
man would enter to quench his thirst
But our hunter, being a master in for
est craft, very prudently steered clear
of all places where he could have been
caught at a disadvantage. After an
hour or more had passed in this boot
less manner the female of the pair
pIOUdUly IedIlllS 1OI Lie W6lldrG W
her kittens, gave up the chase, but the
male continued the play as indefatiga-
bly, as ever.
Satisfying himself that the female
had really drawn out of the game and
was not skull1ink in the rear with more
sinister designs, our hunter marched
straight into the next thicket that hap
pened in the way and confronted the
male cougar, who, with widely distend-
ed mouth and quivering under jaw held
close to the ground, was eagerly await
ing his approach few yeards the 9TH
er side the trunk of a half-decayed
fallen tree. The couchant animal read
lily understood the triumphant glitter
in the fearless, daredevil eyes that sc
unquailingly met his own fitful, hid
eous glance; and, finding himself faced
eye to eye, at such close quarters, en-
deavored to avoid the relentless gaze
of the hunter in a most cringing man.
ner, but all the same maintained his
posture for springing the instant his
adversary's eye was averted. This was
the opportunity the hunter had beer
dallying for, and, being of a humorous
turn, as we'll as nervy in the extreme
he resolved to have as much sport out
of the situation as due regard for per-
sonal safety would permit. According
ly, drawing fine bead with his trusty
rifle between the eyes of the powerful
and dangerous beast, he proceeded tC