The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-26


forests OF pine To the west was great
mass OF mountains and hills. undulatlng
like a monstrOus sea, ending In the plue
distance where We got peep al the
Pacific. II was a wild ana sublime scene,
oppressive because Of its desolauon ana
remoteness from human kind.
Even III Cato seemed to be Impressed.
re stood shading his eyes with his naKed
arm. his hair streaming back IN the
secn wind lie looked FOR an instant more
Ike a statue than an Indian. Inen ne
suddenly proved that he was awe py
e1ciaiming.
i think there are borregos here.
I'VE hurried down the face OF the
mountain toward the east. whlch mere
formed a sort Of horseshoe. ! saw zoe
feeding right below me and hred. one
fell down on a ledge of rocks. Started
bv the shot a ram and four does came
gathering along the rocks. the ram IN
the lead. He was a splendid specimen OF
the big horn and IL was enough TO give
one buck fever to see him Jump across
the guliies.
'Pronto. Pronto, PatronF yelled Cato.
'scei He makes for the canon' shoot.
Il was much excited. 1 confess. me
ram was running and leaping m such
asile fashion that St was Impossible 10
get a sure shot. ! blazed away ana 'uck-
fly hit him in the ribs. II wasn't pretty
shot. but It did the work, and ne tumpled
and clsttered down the hillside to lana
on n shelf twenty feet below.
cato was more excited than !. tfe
jumped along from boulder 20 Douae-'
laughing and yelling. We reached the Dig
horn and found him 20 be a magnificent
specimen. Weighing all OF 400 pouncs.
That is. including his horns, which weigh
cd % pounds. We had neglected 10 brihS
along an axe and had no knife worthy
of the name So we were reduced 10 the
e,.pedient Of the the primitive hunter
a sharp stone. With this Cato hagsied
and smote away until he had secured a
good chunk from the ribs and several
The horns from the head. IL was WORK
climbing back. 100 feet up the mountain
| almost perpendicularly. weighted as we
were with the meat and tho horns. But
was bound 20 have them ana GAt) was
hound 10 have a borreso roast so W,
| Kept at It, Cato got a bunch OF Two o.
wild onions. too, and in hah an nVur W.
| were cnfoving a rib roast and the on
| t1ns-one ~ the most memorable meals
| 7 have ever eaten and one OF the mus
| palatable. ,. ,,,o, bucy
! ,,,d esvcral does. I tried the Luck pu'
NHrr
made miserable shot, missing nun , -,t
| tbree trials. Tnen tried deer anu hli''-
her That day we ran across oeeI 80 ~
tfrrallv The country seemed % DC a''
,ritb deer. IL was entirely unihhat'l'o o.
ard cato told me the Indians rarely PEN
etrated into the mountains that ldI.
.,Ruf / was after borregos' ana ho'
common deer, and we finally palu no a.,
tertiore 10 the latter unless we heeu1
meat. We crossed over into announcer pa,
and assembled a barren ana leIiluly p'oN-
en- mountain, which seemed 10 nave Deen
riven By earthquakes. IL was ABOUT ~
o'clock in the morning when CATO s,s
nailed me 10 step quietly. as he got the
cont ~ came ahead. around a point oil
rocks. [ say scent advisedly, Tor De-
licve the old Indian could smell game
as wei. almost as dog
.J obeved with alacrity. Cato clam
bered down from rock 10 rock Keeping
lis eyes glued on a point ahead. loiIo"-
ed az best I could with my rifle ready
As we rounded the iutting headland d
very pretty picture met our eyes ana tenn
uororilv caused me TO forget 10 shoot
4 level mead was before us, with heaVy,
rich grass carpeting IT, \ tiny Wdteil AL
near us Chartered away. somewhat
drowning the sound OF our steps. ana thus
perhaps permitting us 10 draw nearer
than we otherwise could. All around the
glade were white disjolnted rocks. stand
ing bolt upright like unfinished statues
And 10 complete the charming picture
there we're half dozen mountain sheep,
a couple Of them bighorns, feeding 81
iently. nibbling here and there.
Cato turned and mouoned for me to
shoot at the right-hand big-hOrn, reserv-
ing the other for himself. l raised my rifle
and took aim. when a sudden commo.
ton among the does attracted me. They
leaned aside. quick as a fash. The big
horns nimbly turned. as If on pivot to-
ward a common centre. Then l saw a
huge mountain lion leap from behind a
large rock. uttering at tbe same instant
a piercing scream that ended In roar.
'The peaceful scene OF a moment be-
fore was now just the opposite. The biz
sheep stood their ground stubbornlX
waiting for the lion TO attack them, while
the taWny brute. falling short in his lear
for the first doe, crouched and growleC
- he surveyed the formidable horns
Cato was trembling with eXcXitement
Nv own heart thumped, not from fear
but from intense interest in the combat
The big horns gave low grunts, stamp
ing their feet. but not receding an inch
The lion settled upon the ground, and 10y
the knotting Of his muscles and hatten
ing Of his head ! perceived that he wa
| about to spring.
"The next moment with another
scream. he was in the air Whewl | be
! come excited even yet when ! recall tina
! terrible attack. He landed right on th'