The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16
JUG SPOILS A LION HUNT.
A MIDNIGHT MIX-UP AWAY OUT IN
MONTANA.

IL,
killed another one O. my calves las night
said Uncle John Bean as he Joined the crowd
In the crossroads store the other day. Yes.
sir. the calf was In the corral alright AT sun
down, fer put him in thar myself an put I'm
the bars to rights. This mornin he was gone
an they was blood on the rails whar the lion
drug him over. That makes three that the
pesky critter has swlped on me this spring.
an I don't know what to do. II don't Kill
him purity soon he'll git every calf hev."
why don't yer pisen him." asked Brother
Roc. so-caled because years.betore way back
in the States" he had been an elder Of the
church and in spite OF occasional falls from
grace was still given to preaching religion to
his fellow men.
Trap the varmint" old Jim Fineld suG-
Rs,ted.
Il ret a trap an put out some pisen. bu.
faint no use Shep cat the plsen an died. an
Mtrandy's Of tabby cat lost laig in She trap"
Huh" exclaimed old Ben Tubbs. Pears
to mo you fish err loosin all the huntn' sense
you ever had. It's easy enough 10 git that
lion list lay fer him that's what's the matter;
list lay for him. Git into the corral long about
or 10 o'clock tonight II hev a calf tied up
handy sost you kin twist his tail onc't In
while an make him blant. Thatll bring the
lion In hurry an tho full moon'll give You
pie O. light to take good aim an shoot him
dead. It'd be q good plan. too. to hev couple
O. hound dogs chained up somewhat. cause
you might miss. an II you did the hounds
could take his trail an run him up tree In
short order: then you'd have him dead to
rights"
HUM" said Cnclu John after rejecting q
little. that's a purity good scheme o. you'rn.
Tubby. but just spose fer instunce tibet when
the lion come along the Teller with the gun
ahoulI Oil xoite al. nfrniI
know. but just leetle excited an sort O. ner-
vous like: ef he did he might not plunk the
critter in the right place an then pears to me
he'd DO in fer O purity lively kind Of SCRAP.
Them air lions isIa reglsr whrlwind when
they're wounded"
THAT they air." said Brother Roo. "rompin'.
raPin' beasts o. the desert, as.the good book
says"
wal. now" Uncle John continued. Every
body knows thet l amt much on the shoot ;
s'pose you all come up this evenin'; come
early, ard Mirundy II git us some supner. an
then we'll fix things up an all watch fer the
lion together. Bring yer guns. an you. Tub
by, borry a couple O. Tom Sanderss hounds
as you come by his place"
All agreed to this proposition. and pres
| entity they separated. each one returning 20
his home to do his chores before setting out
| for the evening rendezvous. Uncle Johns
ranch. many acres In extent, 10 situated on q
| little stream close up to the foothills OF the
great divide. Within mile or 80 OF his house
to the west are groves OF cotton wood and pine.
sheltered by n high, rocky wall-like reef. Be-
yond the sharp peaks Of the mountains rise
to a great height. and even In summerare part.
ly clad with. snow. Like his neighbors. he Is
breeder of cattle: gardening. tho raising OF
crops. is out of the question In such high alti-
tuie. where frosts are common in.every month
of tho year. Depending. then. on his herds to
provide the necessities Of life for himself and
his faithful mate and to furnish substantial
income for their declining years. he saw with
no little concern the spring calves being car
rled of one by one almost before hiJ eyes by q
worthless nomad OF the mountains Every
year he had lost more or less stock by tho dep
| relations OF mountain lions and grizzly BEARS
When he got home that evening he was
In happy frame OF mind. partly be-
cause he thought he would soon be rid
OF tho lion and partly because he had taken
which he ,surreptittously carried into the
barn and hid in the haymow. Aunt Matildy
was an earnest. advocate. OF total abstinence
I ana he didn't wish her, to even smell his
her that his friends were coming TO help kill
the big cat and 70 ask her to prepare good
opposite side Of the room and talk out OF the
side o, his mouth Put the;Good woman was
| not to be deceived. she eyed him susplciousy
| for moment and then said Jonathan Be ali.
you've been drinking again"
He Locked a. her shseW%shy and replied
dram Of ss wee S. dhror P1t I'm as sober
Look not uron the wine when il is rcd, for it
blteth like serpent and stingeth like an
The hunters soon arrived Fiheld and
with the two borrowed dogs. Uncle John
| ball IA III mi ant 81,
pulled the Jug out OF the hay and passed it
around Brother Roe alone refused TO touch
nip Tor luck" and inailv he gave in. II was
noticed that he held the vessel to his Inns b
lon m. and n&y SET it o down MN sigh
IAN hone IT'S no sin to take small sup ont"
All hands fS on now Wiz, adou.nsd 70 the hGuse
and soon set before them a subsiant u zeal.
They fell to with will. their eppetltes SHARP.
Tor ID time not a sound was to be heard but tho
elattsr OF their knives and ,d forks; After the
make shss Esn 1910 of TIN se nSh
II reckon said Tubbs. that we'd better git
calf that hain't never been away from its
an then the caliilI blaat plenty Ne won't
have Ter do any tail ,ITystn.; You see, we've
Wal. come on. Their, said Uncle John, les
tn. widest calf in the III hui outht' Ut '''N Wv
They went over to the stable and sadded up.
| but before going out to the pasture the Jug
| was again passed around. each one doing JUS
| tice to its contents. Night was coming on and
| everything was ready for the CAPTURE OF the
lion. The calf baating frequently and mourn
| fully, had been tied with short rope to the
! rails Cfthe corral on each side OF him was
great heap OF hay, in.whlch the watchers were
u sit Only a few feet distant the low, mud.
thhtched stable which formed one, side of the
| inclosure cast q shadow over the place. for the
moon was Just appear ing rver the horizon.
| At Tubbs's suggestion the hounds had been
| taken into the house and chained to the big
armchair. for 1t was feared that II they re-
| malRed In the stable they might scent the lion
before he reached the corral and alarm him
| by their struggles to get out. The guns had
been carefully loaded. and Fifsld had double.
| shotted his. an ancient fowltng piece OF large
| bore. Nearly Il handful Of powder had been
poured into each barrel. succeeded by wad.
| ding thoroughly rammed. and then by an equal
bulk OF large buckshot. The others all had
| modern rifles. During the long wait for the
| night to come on frequent trips had been made
from the house to the stable on one pretexI or
another. and tho Jug had bean brought forth
each time. Everybody was feeling very a..
and then settled down In the hay beside the
calf. Brother Roe, was even hilarious and
started to sing "Rocktof Ages butWas prompt.
~ suuelched by Flheld. who sat beside him.