St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-11-24
BRAVE NORMA DIoRN.
Texas Girl Lassoes Mexican Lion
and Drass Home the Body
of Her Prey.

/ The talk of this neighborhood is the
/ daring exploit of Miss Norma Diorn in
lassoing a full-grown lion and drag
ging home the body of her prey at the
heels of the mustang pony. The South
erh texas Cattle association has pre-
| sehfed Miss Diorn with gold mounted
/ feVolVer, and has sent to the City of
| Mexico for the finest side-saddle ssfor
the grittiest girl on Texas ranch.
old John Diorn owns a ranch and
| several thousand head of cattle, The
| fahch IS located on the western plains
OF Iexas, about the headwaters of the
tributaries of the Guadaloupe. He has
tnfee daughters who have been looking
aIter his herd for several years. 1t is
Inc poast OF these girls that no mus
tang has ever been able to shake one of
'hem from his back. They are fearless
riders and can hurl a lariat with a
precision that many a cowboy envies.
since the death of their only brother,
5allus Diorn, who was killed by cattle
thieves a few years ago, these young
women have ridden after cattle, re-
pared windmills, killed wolves, and
frequently branded calves. The story
OF Miss Norma's lion killing is told as
follows:
One Sunday morning not long ago
Norma, who is the Oldest Of the three
started out on her pony to ride the
wire fence is making tour of ms pee
OF miles from the house. Riding a
Wire fence" is making tour of inspec-
ton to see that the wires are all up and
the posts solid. As the girl started out
she swung the belt of her Winchester
over the gate-pest. remarking that she
was not going far and wouldn't need a
gun. She was hardly out of sight be-
lore an immense Mexican lion sprang
out IN the road in front of the pony.
Ihe beast gave few loud roars and
then disappeared in the direction of
small bunch of cows and calves.
Starting her pony at full speed and
yelling at the lion as if she possesseu
the power in her voice to paralyze all |
wild beasts she rode straight toward |
the terror-stricken cattle, coming up
with them just as the lion sprang upon
the neck Of a calf, crushing it to the
earth
The old cows instantly charged the
lion, and the mother of the calf gave
him such an ugly thrust with her sharp
1orns that he was forced to relinquish
his hold on his prey. The sight of the
trembling, frightened little calf
aroused the girls ire, and, swinging
her rope over her head, she rode at the
ion.
The girl screamed at the lion and
Urged her pony TO pursue MN. The
BEAST frequently looked back and
'narled threateningly, but he failed to
allied to find courage enough to offer
battle. Suddenly it occurred to the
sirl that there was no reason why she
,ould not choke the lion to death. She
wung her lariat over her head, and as
he trained pony sprang forward
lropped the moose about the lions
heck. The pony instantly braced him-
;elf on his launches. digging his fore.
'eet into the ground, and the lior
.urned somersault, striking the earth
with his head toward his pursuers
The girl hoped that she had broken the
,east's neck, but he was only badly
tunned, aud the pain that he suffered
eemed to increase his rage and cour.
lge.
Crouching and emitting a roar, he
prang into the air with all his
trength, expecting to land on the
ony's neck, and tear his pursuers tt
fragments. The agile little horse