The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-09-27

valley on the south side when the
English settler, an "old timer" who
was riding the range with me. advised
me to beware Of the birds. They had
brought him into a strange pre-
dicament once. AS he and / looked
up at the precipice OF the south side
of Cone Mount he began the story.
1t was during the summer OF 1886,
just three years after / came out here.
was very young and rather reckless
Only few settlers were in this part
then, and as ! had only small bunch
of cattle / was alone. | had been rid
ing the range one day, and was return
ing In the afternoon, when l saw those
eagles lowering over It's crest as
had seen them hundred times before
the very same pair we see now.
believe.
Well, / wanted TO find their nest. II
would not be dark for three or four
hours, and as j was on the north side
of the hill i could ride some distance
toward the summit. SO up | went.
About half way from bottom 10 top
tied my horse to tree and finished the
climb on foot.
j lay face down. looking over the
edge OF the cliff for several minutes,
closely scanning its steep side, with
out seeing anything OF the eagles nest.
Then j heard something very different
from any noise an eagle ever makes.
II was a queer little wall. mufiicd ana
catlike, which seemed To- come from
somewhere near me.
i glanced along the halfway ledge
below, and then down among the
rocks and bushes at the bottom. but
could see nothing. But soon the cry
was repeated. this time much clearer.
and at once / caught sight Of small
yellowlsh object protruding from the
face OF the rock wall itself. not thirty
feet below me. ] had no trouble in
making out pair Of pointed black
tipped ears on the head OF what I
knew must be n lynx cub. The little
creature was standing i'm the mouth Of
that dark place you see up there. about
thirty feet above the ledge That dark |
place Is n shallow cave.
Naturally ! thought no more about |
the eagles. The cub would make n |
far odder pet. But how was | To get |
It?
AT the present time there is no way
OF reaching the cave except by rope |
from the top Of the cliff. or ladder
from the ledge, but at that time dead
leaned against the cliff. It's knotty |
trunk formed a perfect natural ladder
between the cave ana the ledge below.
L saw at a glance that the old lynxes
must reach their den by way of the
tree. Why couldn't | do the same
thing?
A more experienced man would not
nave tried such thing in such
place, alone and unarmed-I had shot
away all the cartridges in my pistol at
a coyote. But the spice OF danger did
not stop me, although my only weap-
on was n jack-knife!
| knew how TO reach the ledge-any
strong young man can easily get down
TO 1t where II passes around the east.
ern side of the hill. After reaching
the ledge, l began TO wonder whether
the old lynxes were not about.
Ihat ledge is a singularly wild and
lonely place, with fifty feet of clln
below 1t and as much towering above.
L looked up the winding shelf. very
narrow In places, and could not help
wondering whether l or lynx or
lynXes would 20 over If one or more
OF the brutes should meet or overtako
me midway. After | had gone nearly
all the way i saw some distinct claw.
marks on various bushes, and big foot.
prints on some sand. but as there were
no other signs of the old lynxes | went
on to the dead pine. There the den
was more than twenty feet overhead.
Ihe climb up that dead tree was no;
dlfficult, but ii was alarming; for. al.
though the roots seemed deeply EN-.
Dedded IN fissures, there was such an
unsound shaking about il that | was
glad TO reach the top in safety.
The cave proved TO he merely
washed-out clay pocket, some five feet
nigh by about seven wide at the
mouth, and from ten To fifteen feet
from front TO back. AT the far end
was the lynx kitten. crouchng among
a LOT of small bones and leaves. spit.
ting and snarling it's eyes shining like
Two great balls of topaz. 1t was no
larger than house cat, but its paws
looked as II they were wrapped up In
fur mitten three sizes too big.
Before l left the ledge had cut and
trimmed small sapling, so that had
suck like short, stiff fishpole. TO
one end OF this l now tied six or eight
feet OF the stout cord that | always
carried in my "shaps" pocket for
emergency repairs and so OH. On the
lower end OF this cord | made n run.
Ming moose. l hoped to get AT the
young wildcat. But too late! For
exactly what had been dreading oc.
Cured. An alarming scratching sound
from below made me face around
win jump, and there, already half
way up the tree, was a full grown
lynx
TO reach down, grasp the end of
the pine trunk and push with all my
might was about the only chance left
me, and l did so instinctively For
a instant IL did not move. The brute
was almost upon me. I pushed again
frantically. The trunk started a lit
tie. then snapped short of at Its roots,
a IL. a. |