Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-29
HOT FIGHTS WITH GRIZZLIES
One of Them Calmly Welcomes a Mill with
Three Mountain Lions.
A SECOND ROUTED BY A BURRo
Lively Hustle to Catch n Third Bear
Alive-Escape of the Animal and
the Timely Diversion Made
by n Railroad Train.

"As a corporal" said a mar from the
west, Ginning a New York Sun reporter, 81
had charge Of Ave p~rlvates who were cutting
telegraph poles in the foothills on the west
ern side of a Nevada mountain. The poles
were for a military telegraph and we had
an abundance of timber to select from. One
day, while out after fresh meat for our camp,
i suddenly found myself on the edge Of an al
most circular basin OF about an acre in ex-
tent. This basin was fifty feet below my
level, with a slope down into it almost
opposite me. There was just one tree in the
basin, with a thick carpet Of grass on the
ground, and l was wondering over the freak
of nature when a half grown mountain lion
sprang into view from the slope / have
spoken OF. He came out Of the bushes with
every appearance of being ratified, and after
a backward look and a snarl he galloped
across the grass and sought shelter exactly
beneath me, probably in a cave. l could
have put a bullet into him easily enough, but
as 1t was summer his fur was no good.
"He was hardly out of sight when l heard
a s~norting and coughing and crashing over
the slope, and half a minute later a big
grizzly tumbled into view. II in pursuit OF
the lion, he had taken things easy. He
stood and looked around for a minute, and
there was no doubt in M mind that he
located the lions den both by sight and
smell. He didn't head for 1t, however, but
ambled along to the tree and began a circus
performance. For ten minutes he Taked the
bark with his claws and tumbled around, and
! was getting ready to fire a bullet into him
as a scare when visitors appeared. From
out Of the den below me crept three lions
male and female and the cub / had seen.
Perhaps they were mad over the way the
rth had haan driven hnna and mariana Old
Ephraim had been daring them to come out
and settle matters. At any rate they were out
and 1t needed only a look to prove they
meant business. The grizzly welcomed
them with a low growl and then stood still
while the lions separated to attack him from
three different sides at once. The old fellow
knew he couldn't face but one and he simply
gave the old male lion all his attention.
short and Furious.
II knew that the lions would go in with a
rush when they got ready and | used my
eyes for all they were worth. Each beast
advanced as you have seen a cat steal upon
a bird. and the cub lion took the grizzly's
rear. TIL femals planned to come up on
Ephraim's left side, pretty well back, and
the male made a direct advance, All four
animals kept up a low growing, and now
and then one OF the lions would spit like a
cat. There was no signal and yet the three
made their springs simultaneously. ] think
the distance covered was about ten feet.
The thing was done SO quickly that my eyes
were beaten. One instant the three lions
were lying half crouched on the grass and
the next there was a big ball of bear and
lions rolling about on the grass.
''Th struggle on the grass lasted about a
minute. and the growls and snarls and yelps
made by hair stand up, When the ball un-
rolled itself the cub was out OF the fight. He
limped of on three legs, with his tail drag
ging. but the others simply retreated a few
yards to get breath. This time 1t was the
lioness who skulked around to take old