The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-25

killing early. capturing large game for
themselves in the fall succeeding birth,
but they are clumsy and foolishly bold.
More Of them are slain at this age than
at any other. Like all members Of the
cat tribe they are easily trapped.
individuals of the cougar species diff
fer greatly in size. strength and Zero
city. and the n slain last week was
the chief of his clan. He was a day feed
er and did not seem to carr particularly
TO hide himself. His kills were made in
the open valleys and he was seen prob
IDLY a dozen times. When interrupted
in his work he would retire at a slow
trot, carrying his head six inches lower
than his shoulders. glancing back in
anger and switching his long tail vio-
lently from side 10 side. More than once
he was followed for some miles by I'M
armed cowboys, anxious to find his lair.
In every instance when the pursuit
ceased he would turn in his tracks and
follow his pursuer back to within a mile
of the ranch. He would never return to
a carcass after making one meal. He
seems to have captured his game by
lurking along the brush-lined edges Of
the hills and small precip1ces, spring
ing down upon the animals and reach
ing them in a couple OF bounds, COW
ering. sometimes, % feet in a leap.
Invariably his victims were killed by
one mighty right-handed blow deliver
ed fairly between the airs or horns.
crushing in the skull as If II were egg
she'll Always the shoulders showed
where his claws had given him a foot
hold and the sign told plainly that
no animal ever had the nance to travel
more than 10 feet with him. He dis
posed of the largest steers and mares
without trouble, on one occasion, made
crazy by success, Staying fou beeves
-, aax He uvaE a ppnnrnnh cattle
killer, and II was believed that he had
not dined on anything smaller n a
black tailed deer in a year. He was the
finest hunter that ever walked on o
feet. and when killed was, for this sea-
son of the heated season, remarkably
neshy. Owing to his boldness and his
habit of following his trailers, the Mex
leans of the ranches became frightened
of him. They called him Ell Diablo
TordiIlo," or 1.-THE gray devil" and said
that he was not a lion at all, but an
evil spirit. All cougars or panthers,
are Mexican Hons down here.
"Viejo' was not afraid Of him. A
grizZled old hunter, whose body was
| SCARED by 20 combats with man and
beast, and whose face, burned nearly
to let blackness by the fierce suns, was
so marred By smallpox that peas might
have been placed in the pits of IL, he
said that hi and Alisan, the yellow
dog, were a match for anything In the
mountains, c1nnamons not barred. He
talked often of what they would do to
the gray devil when the pack was lick
ed into shape. The hunt began In the
early morning. There had a rain the
night before md any scent promised to
hold. The trail was struck at the edge
OF a small valley eight miles north of
the Rincon. The cougar had killed a
COW there just after daylight, had eaten
out her side and had strolled back TO
the hillside. He had been gone not
more than an hour when the men reach
ed the place, and the dogs opened at
once DANGEROUSLY. A smart burst OF
speed followed. The Santa Rosa noun
tains are rough riding, but the hunt
ers were mounted on native ponies,
which go up apparently impossible in
clines and jump off cliffs six feet high
on to rock lodges with the agility and
carefulness OF the goat.
The trail led over a low range and
down into another valley, where II
turned South for a mile and a half tc
a branch of the Sacramento. where the
cougar had slaked his thirst. He hao
crossed the stream on a fallen tree ano
gone into the hills. A little after this
ne must have heard the dogs, because
500 yards from the creek his tral
changed from the wen foot marks OF
an unnuIIleu QudIIg ~ III tohbf 5bNh
fling trot OF his kind. and then Il
bounds. Here the dogs left the men
The country was such that rapid rid
ing was impossible. Only 'Ntejo'
spurred after the bowling pack, which
with Alisan at It's head. poured in /;
variegated torrent through the hills.
In a little while an increased clamo
was borne back to them. Pressing OF
as boldly as they dared. they found tn
A..-,.r.,, a., sha p,faCf Of his fTnnZipt
hounds at the edge Of a small fores
of pecans, which grew in a depression
like the bottom of a bowl. So deep wa
IL that the tops of the tall trees did no
reach TO the summit OF the ridge
around them. "Viejo" aid that tn
cougar. Of which he had caught
glimpse, had gone up one of the trees
1t was the gray devil. Indeed. tn
marks Of his claws were plain on tn
massive trunk, but he was nowhere I
be seen. 1t was found afterwards tina
he had leaped from his tree TO another
then to another, had gone down on IN
far side, and was once more speedin
TO the South. The chase was resumed
, but Is minute mad been lost in pickin
up the trail.
, Clambering over the top OF the bow
, with the dogs going belly to the GROUND
the chase ran swiftly and steadily fo
+, two miles. Here the horsemen wer
! delayed for a moment in skirting IN
edge of a narrow marsh, and he pac
) opened a gap of 800 yards. At this tim
the throng was going with the spec
of a whirlwind. Close at their tai
> was '~Niejo." who had r1sked hounde
ing In the morass, and a good 30 fee
, in their front, utterly mute. sailed N
, big beef dog. A quarter of a mile fun
! Their on they ran into the cougar.
I, sheer cliff. so feet high. stretched acros
: the narrow valley and barred egres
! AT it's base a huge boulder a bee
1 detached and left a semi-cavern In /
> side. This depression was five fei
! deep and at least three yards high an
. wide. At its back. his eyes green wit
4 anger. and his lips still bloody from h
breakfast. cTouched FL Diablo Tordill
u, undauntedly facing his p~ursuers. NJ
; pausing I'm his rust nor swerving
/. hairs breadth to either side the grei