The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-05-07

break. was hoping he wouldn't
jump my way.
AS Bruce circlcd the troe. trying
vainly to get a good head shot. |
studied the big killer,
lie wns more than six feet long
| guessed his wcight at 200 palnds
Ills face was splotched with black
hair which framed his muzilo and
surrounded his eyes. Along his
back was a darker streak. while his
belly ana the uudcrsidCs Of his legs
were light gray
Every movement OF tho animals
body revealed great strength The
neck forcshouldcrs md front lcge
were like corded steel
40 wonder the California noun
tain lions arh credited with killing
moro door than all the hunters IN
the Rockies
Presently the Hon came 20 halt
90 tcct above the ground Bruce
lovclcd his revolver.
"rvo got To- kl him tho first
shot or thurcN hy he'll 20 pay" hc
sand
lie aimed with both hands. hold
! INK the gun very steady sharply
the revolver spat Tho big cat stiff
| tcn,d. its body crampcd up and %
cuWo tumhuug down through the
/ foliage without uttvriug u cty.
As the lion hlt the ground tho
[ dogs broke loose and div,d at the
carcass. There was mo- tight Go bo
| had there. The cat was dead. 4
shot through the brain had done
/ the work.
Tho little gray flwn was avenged
/ N-h iion Hunters SlncCurc.
Rrucc's first act was 10 pun tho
/ dogs otr and tie them up. after l"'.
ting them maui the varcuss c,uul,
| of minutes Then he took scales
land tape measure from his belt and
proceeded 90 string his catch up to
/ a tree. Tape measurements rc-
/ corded that the animal was Il feet
/ Z Inches long from tho tip OF iis
/ nose t. tho tip of the tail Tho
weight Was 162 pounds
Tipping the cat up the bulv
/ Bruce proceed 10 skin II with tn,
| greatest care. Not only does ho
/ yet 500 a month and mileage. to-
gcthcr with the $40 bounty. but he
also receives SIS for every good polt.
. These skins are made into rugs.
The skinninR process required some
time as 10 had to bo cut bit by bit.
| You can't iuet peel Off u Hons hide.
\ few chunks of cougar meat were
/ thrown to tho dogs. This helps 10
make them more eager for the next
chase. After getting back to Cnmp
with the polt Bruce snltcd IT. down
to keep It In good shape until tanned
and treated.
Immediately after getting bacl,
with a lion Bruce takes II to tho Of
flee of tla state fish and game Com-
mission where tiny holes arc
punched IN the scalp 10 Identify It
and prevent anyone else from claim
ing bounty for the same cat. Here
ne collects his bounty.
Then another pin ia stuck In the
map Of California to mark whore
the cougar was killed,
Bruce returns TO his home IN Hay
ward after each hunt for wei
earned rest and then goes out on
hanothcr train, following up no,
Ftp. His territory runs from the
Mexican border 90 the state OF ore
gon.
His Perseverance Wins,
After following the state lior
hunter for days over the roughes
trails ! would say that his success
depends greatly upon his most out
standing characteristic -- persorver
ance. lie hangs on like a bulldog
lie sticks to "A trail like blood
hound. lie Is untiring. once ia,
Bruce hits lions trail It is gooC
night lion!
Born in Yosemite national park
near Wawona. and raised In th'
mountain country, Bruce is bltte
enemy OF the nature fakir. III
takes occasion TO puncture some %
their pet theories.
"Pshaw," he says, "lions don
scream. All these ranchcrs will tel
you they have heard their unearthlS
howls, but they are mistaken. II was
n coyote or an owl. Lions make NJ
noisc unless COrnered and then they
spit and snarl like n cat.
"Nither do mountain lions sprini
on their prey from a tree and cut
its throat. That's pure bunk. The
lion sneaks up on the deer and thor
strikes II at express train speed will
It's terrible claws ana muscled shoul
ders. II knocks tho deer out ant
rips II open, never touching The
thoat.
After eating the liver and cholc,
parts the lion covers up the carcass
with leaves and twigs. II he find'
another deer he viii never return tC
thoa old XII as he prefers frosf
meat"
Faced Two Win Empty Guns.
Bruce has had a number Of mar
row sQueaks, but the nearest tina
he ever came 20 being killed by d
lion was before he became state
hunter.
He and his wife were living in Z
lcabin on the McrCed river. His wife
had taken the shells out of his gur