The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1905-11-01
the shelf 1T the front Of Ilie cave,
should be helpless.

should be helpless.
| had studied the beast from hunt
er's point of view and therefore had
no trouble in reading what happened
during the next half hour In the
first place. if he had got my scent he
had also got that of some one else.
1t was not the scent of another beast.
but of man. | could tell that by
the nervous movements of the beast
could not see. He did not growl. as
he would If watching bear or wolf or
one of his own species, but now and
then he whned and seemed Il bit
afraid
When Joe returned he would not
pass the cave. but halt 200 feet away.
He had his rife and revolver with him.
Missing me, he would call out The
lion would not attempt to attack an
armed man by daylight and at that dis
lance. It seemed to me that the
beast must be watching some one near
err by. l had not given the lay of tile,
ground much attention, but was under
the impression that shallow ravine
led from the cave IN northerly drec-
ton. parallel with the stream. This
would furnish cover for any one creep
ing up to view the site Of our new
camp and lie in ambush for us. /
finally settled it in my mind that some
Indian hunter or some young brave
anxious to make d record had in some
way struck our trail and was planning
to get our scalps. He was creeping
up the ravine, and the lion was watch
ing him.
could trace the progress of the man
by the actions of the animal above.
Sometimes the shadow included the
neck and shoulders of the lion. and
sometimes it retreated altogether.
Sometimes there was deepest silence
for moment and then it was broken
by a whine or the clicking of claws.
What | began to fear as the minutes
glided away was that Joe would re-
turn and be shot by the lurking savage
before the lion could interfere. That
he meant TO spring when his prey
came near enough had no doubt. 1t
W
peal to lion-the cat and the mouse.
BY watching the shadow and listen
ing to the movements of the beast
was enabled to gauge the movements
of the enemy in the ravine. How near
at hand he was when the lion first
afterward as l looked over the ground.
but l made it about POO feet. He had
the cover of the powders and bushes
for all that distance. but he moved
with the greatest caution. The nearer
he approached camp the greater his
| caution.
At fifty feet away lie halted for full
ten minutes. During this interval he
must have been surveying our camp
outfit and wondering why no one was
in sight. With the suspicion of his
! race he probably scented some ambush
on our part. l knew when lie came
moving along again-when lie was
within thirty feet-twenty-ten. l had
now lost all fear that l was to become
victim and was deeply interested in
watching for the climax. The lion wSs
fifteen feet above the man and would
have to spring outward about ten feet.
This would lie an easy effort for him.
As the Indian came nearer the lion
ceased to whine or click his claws,
but could almost feel the quiver II
his muscles as he made ready. l vas
watching and listening with all my
| might. and l surely thought / should
| lie able to detect his last movement be-
fore taking the leap. but all l saw WIS
a black ball pass before my vision. aud
then the stiffness was rent by wild
scream Of surprise and terror. There
| was q snarl and a grOwl, sounds OK q
struggle, and then all was silent
NJ QUAD.