The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1921-06-09

crucial moment. Perhaps It was the
fault Of Wool, whose presence had
driven Whisperfoot from the trail,
and perhaps because old age and stiff-
ness was coming upon him. But
neither of these facts appeased his
anger. He could scarcely suppress
snarl Of fury and disappointment.
He continued along the ridge, still
stealing. still alert, but his anger in
creasing with every moment. The fact
that he had to leave the trail again to
permit still another animal to pass,
and particularly Insignificant one
too, didn't make him feel any better.
This animal had number of curious
stripes along his back, and usually did
nothing more desperate than steal
eggs and eat bird fledglings. Whisper
foot could have crushed him with one
bite, but this was one thing that the
great cat, as Tong as he lived, would
never try to do. He got out of the
way politely when Stripe-back was
was quite compliment to the little
animals ability to introduce himself.
Stripe-back was Familiarity known as
a skunk.
Shortly after ten, the mountain lion
had remarkably fine chance at
buck. The direction of the wind, the
trees, the thickets and the light were
all In his favor. It was old Blacktail,
wallowing in the salt lick; and Whis-
perfoot's heart bounded when he de-
tected him. No human hunter could
have laid his plans with greater care.
He had to cut up the side of the ridge,
mindful Of the wind. Then there was
a long dense thicket in which he
might approach within fifty feet of
the lick, still with the wind in his
face. Just beside the lick was another
deep thicket. from which he could
make his leap.
His body lowered. The tail dashed
back and forth, and now 1t had begun
to have slight vertical motion that
frontiersinen have learned to watch
for. He placed every paw with con-
suInmate grace, and few sets Of hui
man nerves have sufficient control
over leg muscles to move with such
astonishing patience. He scarcely
seemed to move at ALL
But when scarcely ten feet re-
manned to stalk, sudden sound
pricked through the darkness. It came
from afar, but 1t was no less terrible.
1t was really two sounds. so close to-
gether that they sounded as one.
Neither Blacktail nor Whisperfoot
had any decisions about them. They
recognized them at once. in strange
ways under the skin that no man may
describe, as the far-off reports of a
rife. Just today Biacktail Ind seen
his doe fall bleeding when this same
sound, only louder. spoke from q
covert from which Bert Cranston had
poached her-and he left the lick II
one bound.
Terrified though he was by the rife
shot. still WhisperfOot sprang. But
the distance was too far. His out
stretched paw hummed down four
feet behind Blacktail's flank. Then
forgetting everything but his anger
and disappointment. the great cougar
opened his mouth and howled.
The long night was almost done
when he got sight OF further game
Once flock of grouse exploded with
a roar of wings from thicket; but
they had been wakened by the first
whisper Of dawn in the wind, and he
really had no chance at them. Soon
after this. the moon set.
The larger creatures of the forest
are almost as helpless in absolute
darkness as human beings. 1t is very
well to talk Of seeing in the dark, but
from the nature of things, even verti-
cal pupils may only respond to light.
No owl or bat can see In absolute
darkness. It became increasingly like
~ that Whisperfoot would have to re-
tire to his lair without any meal
whatever.
But still he remained, hoping
against hope After futile fifteen
minutes Of watching a trail, he heard
doe feeding on a hillside. Its foot
fall was not so heavy as the sturdy
tramp of a buck, and besides, the
bucks would be higher on the ridges
this time Of morning. He began eau
tious advance toward it.
Fer the first fifty yards the hunt
was In his favor. He came up wind.