The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1901-05-09
An Adventure with a Mountain Lion.

Ralph Mcintyre. son of L. *. McIn
| tyre. of Fairbank, Arizona, sends rs
letter, from which make excerps. A
part of the letter gives an account of &
conflict which an old government scout
had with mountain lion. The account
is a thrilling one and will be interesting
reading:
We are pleasantly situated in noun
j tains district in arid Arizona and were
rainfall more abundant, we would be sur
| rounded by luxuriant orchards of semi
tropical fruit instead of cacti, mesquite
and sage brush.
Game Is quite abundant and many in.
teresting stories can be told of adventures
with bear, cougar mountain lion etc.
Although there are fascinating features in
| these dry, rugged mountains, still I would
like to see old Dodge once more and as
soeiate with my old friends for IA pleas
ant tete-a-tetc, and neither would 1 be
without subjects to converse upon, for
have sought the mysteries of nature and
have not failed altogether in finding
them.
will send you an Interesting story of
an adventure with a mountain lion, as
told me by several old timers. and also by
the man who barely escaped being the
lion 5 victim, which if it is worth your
trouble, you can put it in the GLOBE
REPUBLICAN.
Early in the Eightys, Robert Dowpy.
an old, government scout, was burning
lime for Fort Huachuca, about ten miles
distant from the fort, with two or three
companions. They had camped some
two hundred yards from the kiln in an
al joining canon and changed shifts
every six hours.
At this time very few settlers had come
in and the savage denizens of the forest
had not the fear of man that they have
at the present day and The lime burners
were often disturbed by nocturnal prowl-
ers, gliding stealthily around camp OIL
giving vent to their feelings by doIeful
howls from some neighboring peak.
One of Downy's companions had fin
ished his shift from six p NJ. to twelve
and came back to camp and aroused
Downy. Downy made preparations foI
his shift and arrived at the kiln, probably J
half hour after his companion had
left. The first thing he did upon his arri-
val was to stir the fire.
Before l go farther L will explain the
situation of the kiln SO L will be under
stood better.
The kiln was built against bank and
behind it was hill rising gradually from
the top of the kiln and in front some
lW1At -AIfC VI rect olSldHb Vas q
ditch too wide to be covered by a lear
and too deep to descend and ascend very
! rapidly On the right between the ditch
and the kiln was pile of corded wood
which forbade an exit there, the only
means of escape was to the left which led
into strip of open country around the
kiln to the camp.
will conclude this story as I heard
it from Downy's lips.
81 was engaged in stirring the fire
when L heard growl above me; lookin
up / was Mortified to the head and
shoulders of magnificent lion within a
yard of my face, standing on the kim al
most over the burning lime. / was
shocked, for 1 had been told that wild
animals were afraid of fire and here this
wicked looking brute stood close to
the aperture that almost expected to see
him ignite any minute. My first impulse
was to run but guarded on every
side but one and the open country would
enable him to overtake me before I had
gone fifty feet. 1 then felt for my six
shooter; but I remembered L left it at the
camp. and 1 knew it would be useless &c
try to shout to the men to bring it as
| they would be fast asleep, and l was
afraid it would excite the lion to at
tack. By this time I was almost para
lyzed with fear. 1 looked around in q
frenzy of despair and saw a shovel within
reach and with almost the desperateness
of mad man I seized it, filed it with q
mass of burning Goals and threw it full in
the lions face The effect was magical;
the lion turned and with roar, yell and
shrek combined he cleared the open
space behind the kiln and disappeared il
the gloom, followed by succession OF
short yelps. and at last by a long. drawn
howl and then was seen nor heard nc
more
This is only one of numerous stories
told me By old trappers. hunters, scouts
etc, who have done a great deal in rid
ding Arizona of the Indians in the early
days, when Cochise, Geronimo and others
harrassed the Sc ttlers so that the United
States troops came to their rescue.