The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-02-15
BRAVE NORMA dorm.
Texas Girl LsssOs a Nj xicaH Lion and
Drses Home he Body of Esr Prev

aNAAs Nts IHsDN' - fA 40 LLtu dktk
Drags Home he Body of Her PREY.
The talk Of this neighborhood is the
ldaring exploit of Miss Norma Diorn ir
lassoing a full-grown lion and drag.
ging home the body of her prey at the
heels Of the mustang pony. The South.
ern Texas Cattle association has pre-.
sented Miss Diorn with a old-mounted
! revolver, and has sent to the City~o
! Mexico for the finest side-saddle ''fol
the grittiest girl on a Texas ranch. -
Old John Diorn owns a ranch and
| several thousand head of cattle. The
ranch is located on the western plains
of Texas, about the headquarters of
the Guadalupe. He has three daugh-
| tiers who have been looking after his
herd for several years. 1t is the boast
| of these girls that no mustang has
| ever been able to shake one of them
from his back. They are fearless
riders and can hurl a lariat with a pre-
cision that many a cowboy envies.
Since the death of their only brother,
julius Diorn, who was killed by cattle
thieves a few years ago, these young
women have ridden after cattle, re-
paired 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 in making a tour of in
spection miles from the house. Grid
ing a wire fence" is making tour of
inspection 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-post, re-
marking that she was not going far
and wouldn't need a gun. She was
hardly out of sight before an immense
Mexican lion sprang out in the road in
front of the pony. The beast gave a
few loud roars and then disappeared in
the direction of a small bunch of COWS
and calves.
Starting her pony at full speed and
Yelling at the lion as if she possessed
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 up
on the neck of a calf, crushing it to
the earth.
Lie Olu CONS lllSUdl1Uly CudGS6u IDS
lion, and the mother of the calf gave
him such an ugly thurst with her
sharp horns that he was forced to re-
linquish his hold ON his prey. The
sight of the trembling, frightened lit
tie calf aroused the girls ire, and,
swinging her rope over her head, she
rode at the lion.
The girl screamed at the lion and
urged her pony to pursue him. The
beast frequently looked back and snarl-
ed threateningly, but he failed to find
courage enough to offer battle. Sud
denly it occurred to the girl that there
was no reason why she could not
choke the lion to death. She swung
her lariat over her head, and as the
trained pony sprang forward dropped
the moose about the lions neck. The
pony instantly braced himself on his
launches, digging his forefeet into the
ground, and the lion turned a somer-
sault, striking the earth with his head
toward his pursuers. The girl hoped
that she had broken the beasts neck,
but he was only badly stunned, and the
pain that he suffered seemed to in
crease his rage and courage.
Crouching and emitting a roar, he
sprang into the air with all his
strength, expecting to land on the
pony's neck, and tear his pursuers to
fragments. The agile little horse
turned just in time to feel the claws
Of the lion grazing his launches.
Ali western horses entertain a horror
of those lions, for one of their tricks
is to lie in ambush on the limb of a
| tree heal where the horses are in the
habit of drinking. From these hiding
| places they fall upon young colts and
! devour them. The Texas pony knows
the Mexican lion, and he fears him
more than all other enemies.
So instantly as the lion sprang for
ward the pony began to run. The rope
was tense, and if she had wished to dc
it, the girl could not have unfastened
the lariat from the saddle-horn. More
| over, she knew the chances were that
if the lion was released in his state OF
rage he would tear the pony and her.
self to bits. She leaned forward and
urged her frightened pony to do his
| best.
She reached the ranch gates at her
home just as her sisters, accompanied
by two young men of the neighbor-
hood, were about to pass through it
on their way to church. There
now p she shouted. 81 have roped
and dragged a lion to death" Her
speech of triumph was cut short by a
warning scream from one of her sis
tiers, who noticed that the lion was
about to regain his feet, and renew
the battle. One of the Texans sent a
bullet through the monsters brain,
and ended his career. Marble Falls
Tex Correspondent st. Louis Re-