The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-10-13

ZIP 10 wing LIps forced TO hunC deer OF
starVe in country where deer are
| very scarce-these are a few of the
things that hefelI T. W. Copner, OF
this city, recently while spending
few days on the famous Malibu ranch
IN Ventura county
Copner's tale may sound a bit full
Of the strenuous life, but he displays
torn coat and Iacerated shoulder
as marks of the fight with the lion,
the wings of the huge yuIture which
he was forced to kill to save his own
life and a saddle of smoked venison
which shows the gigantic proportions
of the deer that once bore it.
The Malibu ranch lies on the wild
est part Of the southern California
coast, about So miles above Santa
Monica. 50 wild and SO little traF-
eled by man is this country that Cop
ner's party saw not a soul save the
grizzled old mountaineer with whom
they boarded during the entire length
Of their stay.
The days trip had been a long,
hard one said Gopher, and We were
not exactly looking for game or ex-
element when we wound down the
narrow trail toward the Dexter cabin
It was about eight o'clock and dark
as pitch.
'.p~ear the gate is a giant oak tree,
with low, rambling branches. AS [
passed under it heard a strange rat
ting noise in the limbs and leaves
overhead. With a glance upward
saw the dark head of mountain lion
move out along a large limb and could
dimIy see the huge body of the cat
creeping after 1t seemed that I could
see the flash Of his white teeth in the
darkness and I could feel the low.
savage snarl ne let go when he saw
me.
Instantly jumped; a heavy paw
grazed my shoulder, dragging my coat
to the ground. cutting the flesh
through the heavy clothing I wore,
and a long, 1.-THE object landed on the
ground beside me, almost exactly, in
deed, on the spot where I had been
standing,
e could net have been more than
eight feet away, and I lost no time in
bringing the $3.50 into play. I emp
tied six shots in the direction of the
dark object. At the third Of these
heard a wild snarl. saw the black
body launch itself through the air,
directly toward me, and had Just pres
enee of mind enough to fall fat on
the ground. I could feel the wind
caused by the great beast in passing,
and have no doubt was as pale as
q ghost the moment he went over me.
Il seemed to feel, rather than hear,
the great beast light on the ground
beyond me, and with a bound gained
the shelter Of the side hills brushy
tangle, from whence, I suppose, he
came
Late that night, when the moon had
come out and the fog had fallen Bit,
the hunters went out again, but could
find no trace OF the big cat. Next
day there was trail of blood lead
ing away from the scene Of the en-
counter, but this soon led into rough
and rocky ground, and could not be
followed with any degree Of certainty,
SO the chase was given up.
Battle with the Seavenqer.
On the third day Of their stay at
the old ranch meat ran short, and the
party, dividing into two bands, struck
out to get d deer. Gopher killed a
deer about mile from camp, and, as
the day was yet young, determined to
y,,1ch on IN SEARCH af another bJ7aIy
To frighten away chance coyotes or
other small animals from the carcass
he covered it with his coat, laying
red handana handkerchief on the top
of the pile.
He made a circuit of some two or
three miles through the nearby can
yons, and, coming down on his deer
from above, was surprised to see.
seated on the carcass, a bird of the
size of d fpll-grown Newfoundland
dog. He recognized the creature as
one of the rare California condors, or
Vultures, which now and then appear
In the coastWise hills, and shouted I
to scare it from its feast, which he
could see was rapidly being torn TO
pieces.
To his shouts the great bird paid
no attention. He walked nearer, and,
remembering stories he had heard OF /
the feroeity of the giant vulture when
angered, Gopher fred shot from his
revolver over the birds head. There
is a fine Of some $500 imposed for the
killing Of a condor, and he had no
desire to incur the penalty, but he
could not bear to see his supper van
ishing into the nav of the bird OF
prey.
Still the condor failed to move, but
continued to tear at the deer, from
which it had by this time stripped the
coat thrown over it for protection. /
Gopher came nearer, and finally pick
ing up stone, threw it at the bird,
striking It on one wing.
Evidently this reused the FuIture's
wrath, for, spreading its great wings,
it rose with loud hiss high into the
air Gopher stepped forward to see
what damage had been done to his
quarry, when, without a sound save
the rush of air through its great PIN |
ions, the condor fell from the height
to which 1t had assembled and struck
the man squarely between the shout
ders. the while tearing at his head
with beak and talons.
Knocked down by the force of the
blow, the hunter fell forward over the
body OF the deer ana down into q lit
tie gully. Doubtless this alone saved
his life, for had the great bird sue