Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-07-14

81 the 0mue-Hn@ MSsuex ma nex G1s~
dren In Captivity.
Those who conclude that there are
no ~ferociotls or dangerous wild animals
in the maintains OF western Texas
would experience a very sudden change
OF sentiment IL they should meet .
panther face 10 face In some lonely can
yon- The magnificent animal Dov
chained in front of our wagons Ia called
by some q Mexican or mountain lion
and by others . panther. She 10 of a
dull yellowish color and will weigh
more than four or five ordinary Loop
ards. She measures just ii feet from
the tip of her nose TO the end Of her long
tail.
Although she has been Ia captivity
pnly o few days she Is astonishingly doc
lle 30 long as she can SEQ her two cubs
that are chained under the wagons The
moment they set up q whine she springs
90 her feet, all her hair turns the wrong
way, and while her eyes look like glow
ing Goals OF fire she gpnshes her sharp
white fangs and tries the strength OF
her chain. II it were not strong enough
to hold an OK, / shoald prefer that the--
were two or three counties between us
Just at that particular moment. The
cubs are already as gentle as lambs and
ps playful as kittens, and nothing
pleases them better than to crawl under
our blankets at night and cuddle up
close to us to escape the chilly northers.
We captured her in the mountains of
the Deall river in western Texas, and /
doubt IL a more daring feat was ever
accomplished by a crowd Of hunters.
Game of all kinds is very abundant in
this region, and the boys had tired of
shooting deer, antelopes and turkeys.
Several big wolves and two or three
panthers had been slaughtered, and 1t
was evident from the numerous tracks
about the water holes that there were
plenty more of them in the mountains.
One evening the hounds struck a hot
trail and ran q big panther into q ave
ON the side of q mountain.
That night while discussing the ad-
ventures incident to the days hunt two
daring young men. Petmaker end Black,
declared that they intended to hang a
moose over the mouth of the animals
den on the next day and capture her
alive. Both are Texas reared boys and
experienced hunters. The proposition
met with unanimous approval. and all
volunteered to assist in tho desperate
undertaking. The next day as we rode
out OF camp some of the boys grew
holder, and two of them. who were ex-
pert vaqueros, declared that they in
tended to rope the beast il they could
get close enough to her. These two
young Petmaker Of Menard county and
George Black Of Austin-rode toward
the den, and the other members Of the
party and negro Jim, who had charge
Of the hounds, started to beat up the
valley.
We had gone but a short distance be-
fore the dogs struck a hot trail and ran
with yelps which indicated that they
were close to the animal.
Petmaker and Black heard them
coming and rsined in their ponies ON
the edge Of q little opening and u~nslung
their rawhide ropes from the horns of
their saddles. The big animal sprang
out of the brush and stopped within 30
feet of Petmaker. The cowboys lariat
flashed through the air and landed right
around the wild animals neck.
The instant it touched her she
screamed like a terror stricken woman
and, leaping high in the ailsind gnashing
her teeth, began to decrease the space
between her and the daredevil at the
other end of the rope. Black, who was
too far away to cooperate with his
comrade at first. was now on the field.
and with lucky precision he hurled a
second moose over the animals head.
Both wheeled their ponies, and the
trained animals made a leap in opposite
directions. The ropes we're drawn taut,
and the big monster was choked to the
earth.
While she was rolling OF the grass
and ciawing at the moose another expert
with the rope galloped and caughs .