The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-20


half decayed fallen tree. The couchant
animal readily understood the triumphant
glitter in the fearless. daredevil eyes that
SO unquailingIy met his own fitful, hbde-
Gus glance; and, finding himself faced.
eye TO eye, az such close quarters, endeav-
ored TO avoid the relentless gaze Of the
/ hunter in a most cringing manner. but al
the same maintained his posture for
/ springing the Instant his adversarys eye
was averted. This was the opportunity the
hunter had been dallying for. and. being
OF humorous turn, as well as nervy in
! the extreme. he resolved to have as much
sport out of the situation as due regard for
personal safety would permit. Accord
ingiy, drawing fine bead with his trusty
rife. between the eyes OF the powerful and
I dangerous beast. ne proceeded 10 remind
him. after the usual manner OF the Dor
| dermen, when about to execute a perfidi)us
enemy of some OF the principal incidelts
| OF the morning, wherein his. cousorsnip
enormously thought he had played { fine.
. You ornery, long-tailed. yellow-eyed
! sneak he exclaimed. concluding a long
I TRADE; you lowed you was mOnkayiag
= with a plum rank greener, did YOU? How
! somever, If you've got any sense, 1 reckon
/ You can see that you wasn't so smart after
| al. Whenever any of your tribe can set
I such coarse play in on old Lem just you
( let him know and then adding a few ct
/ his most select expletives, ne sent a slug
4 crashing into the brain of the treacherous
and cunning beast, terminating his career
on the instant.
Although the couger usually lies in wait.
when pressed by hunger ne viii not scruple
10 chase down his prey. and the prodig
! iouS bounds he will some times make in the
( attempts is something wonderful. An ad-
] venture showing a phase of cougar tao
/ tics somewhat different from the forego>
I ing happened 10 a couple OF gentlemen
] who CHANGED 10 meet few years ago or a
I spur of the Blue mountains in Grant coun-
/ ~, Oregon. Each OF the paroles was in
search of mineral Indications on a high
southern slope. dotted here and there with
! scraggy, ill-shaped pines. juniper and
| mountain mahogany. Half way 70 the
/ summit of the hill was a little beach OF
I perhaps two acres in extent, where tie
( mahogany. growing 10 a hight of eight OF
I ten feet, formed a thicket which in places
was next TO impenetrable. 4 few hun
bred yards from this bench one of the
: parties discovered The half-deyoured re-
! mains of a large buck, which very evil
+ IDENTIFY had been but recently slain A
little further on he fell in with the other
( gold hunter, who, besides a prospecting
I pick. carried a heavy rifle and was ac-
companied by a pair Of dogs. The cir
I cumstances OF finding the carcass OF the
| buck was mentioned. and, on comparing
notes. it was soon decided to be the work
! of cougars. And" remarked the man
with the gun, I'm wager the rsseals are
in yander mahogany thicket. for my dogs
/ behaved in a very strange manner in pass
ing IT, II tell you what I will do" ne
I proposed; you take my gun and go 10 the
head OF that little ravine just below. It's
I A natural runway, and 1 viii so in with
! the dogs and endssvor to drive the var
E minis out" No replied the other, you
/ take the stand. and I will encourage the
/ dogs. Agreed. said the first speaker.
/ Accordingly one OF the parties stationed
/ himself in a convenient position for get
{ ting a shot. while the other entered the
! thiclxet armed only with a light prospect
/ ing pick, being a combined pick and geo
losists' hammer. The dogs, finding them
{ selves ably seconded and vociferously en-
! couTa ged. were soon barking furiously and
/ chasing here and there in hot pursuit Of
! something Presently the report OF the
I gun sounded followed BY the man station
ed below calling out, They are cougars
sure enough I got one. but watch out
| There's another. and he Is going back to-
! ward YOU" whsreupon the man in the
! thicket climbed on 10 a low ledge OF rocks,
7 which was yet high enough 10 furnish a
/ good view OF the situation. and the per
| Torrance that then met his gaze was one
! long TO be remembered The remaining
I SAINT barking and hsrasSing attention of
/ the dogs. was maintaining himself in the
/ air by a series OF bounds that were truly
I wonderful. Literally spuFning the earth
1 with all four feet at once. ne would rise
( easily above the surrounding shrubberv
I and by powerful propulsive movement
! Of his powerful limbs remain stationary
for few moments; then. with claws and
/ legs extended to the utmost. would dart
/ on apparently IN any direction he chose.
/ clawing the air as ne went like playful
/ kitten toying with bah Of yarn.
! II was plain that the dogs would have
1 Jared badly could he but have come at
/ them, but on account of the brush he was
/ at great disadvantage in coping with his
nimble tormentors. being unable to lean
TO any distance except upward
/ Perhaps fortunately for the man on the
/ rock. after q few minutes OF this interest
/ ing kitten play. the agile beast set off
! around the hillside, pursued By the dogs
! at full cry. and very soon ran up a tree
taking a position on a projecting branch
forty feet OF therea bouts from the ground
/ and from which it took two or three we'll
directed shots to dislodge him.
Subsequently careful tracking and inves-
tsation on the part of the prospectors.
VINO. like all of their class were in the
habit of sitting things to the bottom. dis
closed the fact that the slaughtered buck
had been Jumped" near the tree in which
the last cougar met his doom; that ne had
bounded straight down the hill, at this
particular point a % per cent. incline. un-
til a projecting reef OF rock compelled him
! 70 swerve slightly TO the right; that his
/ pursuers. the cougars. had kept pace with
him, one on either side, in a series of leans
of nearly invariably Is feet in the
! clear. and~that when the fleeing. terrified
animal had Of necessity turned aside. the
pursuing hend on that side had at one
mighty bound, struck him to earth.
THE JAPs ON WATER