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Jones¡¡discovered£»¡¡while¡¡in¡¡the¡¡park£»¡¡that¡¡the¡¡cougar¡¡is¡¡king¡¡of¡¡all¡¡the¡¡beasts¡¡of¡¡North¡¡America¡£¡¡Even¡¡a¡¡grizzly¡¡dashed¡¡away¡¡in¡¡great¡¡haste¡¡when¡¡a¡¡cougar¡¡made¡¡his¡¡appearance¡£¡¡At¡¡the¡¡road¡¡camp£»¡¡near¡¡Mt¡£¡¡Washburn£»¡¡during¡¡the¡¡fall¡¡of¡¡1904£»¡¡the¡¡bears£»¡¡grizzlies¡¡and¡¡others£»¡¡were¡¡always¡¡hanging¡¡round¡¡the¡¡cook¡¡tent¡£¡¡There¡¡were¡¡cougars¡¡also£»¡¡and¡¡almost¡¡every¡¡evening£»¡¡about¡¡dusk£»¡¡a¡¡big¡¡fellow¡¡would¡¡come¡¡parading¡¡past¡¡the¡¡tent¡£¡¡The¡¡bears¡¡would¡¡grunt¡¡furiously¡¡and¡¡scamper¡¡in¡¡every¡¡direction¡£¡¡It¡¡was¡¡easy¡¡to¡¡tell¡¡when¡¡a¡¡cougar¡¡was¡¡in¡¡the¡¡neighborhood£»¡¡by¡¡the¡¡peculiar¡¡grunts¡¡and¡¡snorts¡¡of¡¡the¡¡bears£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡sharp£»¡¡distinct£»¡¡alarmed¡¡yelps¡¡of¡¡coyotes¡£¡¡A¡¡lion¡¡would¡¡just¡¡as¡¡lief¡¡kill¡¡a¡¡coyote¡¡as¡¡any¡¡other¡¡animal¡¡and¡¡he¡¡would¡¡devour¡¡it£»¡¡too¡£¡¡As¡¡to¡¡the¡¡fighting¡¡of¡¡cougars¡¡and¡¡grizzlies£»¡¡that¡¡was¡¡a¡¡mooted¡¡question£»¡¡with¡¡the¡¡credit¡¡on¡¡the¡¡side¡¡of¡¡the¡¡former¡£

The¡¡story¡¡of¡¡the¡¡doings¡¡of¡¡cougars£»¡¡as¡¡told¡¡in¡¡the¡¡snow£»¡¡was¡¡intensely¡¡fascinating¡¡and¡¡tragic£¡¡¡How¡¡they¡¡stalked¡¡deer¡¡and¡¡elk£»¡¡crept¡¡to¡¡within¡¡springing¡¡distance£»¡¡then¡¡crouched¡¡flat¡¡to¡¡leap£»¡¡was¡¡as¡¡easy¡¡to¡¡read¡¡as¡¡if¡¡it¡¡had¡¡been¡¡told¡¡in¡¡print¡£¡¡The¡¡leaps¡¡and¡¡bounds¡¡were¡¡beyond¡¡belief¡£¡¡The¡¡longest¡¡leap¡¡on¡¡a¡¡level¡¡measured¡¡eighteen¡¡and¡¡one¡­half¡¡feet¡£¡¡Jones¡¡trailed¡¡a¡¡half¡­grown¡¡cougar£»¡¡which¡¡in¡¡turn¡¡was¡¡trailing¡¡a¡¡big¡¡elk¡£¡¡He¡¡found¡¡where¡¡the¡¡cougar¡¡had¡¡struck¡¡his¡¡game£»¡¡had¡¡clung¡¡for¡¡many¡¡rods£»¡¡to¡¡be¡¡dashed¡¡off¡¡by¡¡the¡¡low¡¡limb¡¡of¡¡a¡¡spruce¡¡tree¡£¡¡The¡¡imprint¡¡of¡¡the¡¡body¡¡of¡¡the¡¡cougar¡¡was¡¡a¡¡foot¡¡deep¡¡in¡¡the¡¡snow£»¡¡blood¡¡and¡¡tufts¡¡of¡¡hair¡¡covered¡¡the¡¡place¡£¡¡But¡¡there¡¡was¡¡no¡¡sign¡¡of¡¡the¡¡cougar¡¡renewing¡¡the¡¡chase¡£

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Jones¡¡asserted¡¡that¡¡a¡¡cougar¡¡would¡¡usually¡¡run¡¡from¡¡a¡¡hunter£»¡¡but¡¡that¡¡this¡¡feature¡¡was¡¡not¡¡to¡¡be¡¡relied¡¡upon¡£¡¡And¡¡a¡¡wounded¡¡cougar¡¡was¡¡as¡¡dangerous¡¡as¡¡a¡¡tiger¡£¡¡In¡¡his¡¡hunts¡¡Jones¡¡carried¡¡a¡¡shotgun£»¡¡and¡¡shells¡¡loaded¡¡with¡¡ball¡¡for¡¡the¡¡cougar£»¡¡and¡¡others¡¡loaded¡¡with¡¡fine¡¡shot¡¡for¡¡the¡¡hounds¡£¡¡One¡¡day£»¡¡about¡¡ten¡¡miles¡¡from¡¡the¡¡camp£»¡¡the¡¡hounds¡¡took¡¡a¡¡trail¡¡and¡¡ran¡¡rapidly£»¡¡as¡¡there¡¡were¡¡only¡¡a¡¡few¡¡inches¡¡of¡¡snow¡£¡¡Jones¡¡found¡¡a¡¡large¡¡lion¡¡had¡¡taken¡¡refuge¡¡in¡¡a¡¡tree¡¡that¡¡had¡¡fallen¡¡against¡¡another£»¡¡and¡¡aiming¡¡at¡¡the¡¡shoulder¡¡of¡¡the¡¡beast£»¡¡he¡¡fired¡¡both¡¡barrels¡£¡¡The¡¡cougar¡¡made¡¡no¡¡sign¡¡he¡¡had¡¡been¡¡hit¡£¡¡Jones¡¡reloaded¡¡and¡¡fired¡¡at¡¡the¡¡head¡£¡¡The¡¡old¡¡fellow¡¡growled¡¡fiercely£»¡¡turned¡¡in¡¡the¡¡tree¡¡and¡¡walked¡¡down¡¡head¡¡first£»¡¡something¡¡he¡¡would¡¡not¡¡have¡¡been¡¡able¡¡to¡¡do¡¡had¡¡the¡¡tree¡¡been¡¡upright¡£¡¡The¡¡hounds¡¡were¡¡ready¡¡for¡¡him£»¡¡but¡¡wisely¡¡attacked¡¡in¡¡the¡¡rear¡£¡¡Realizing¡¡he¡¡had¡¡been¡¡shooting¡¡fine¡¡shot¡¡at¡¡the¡¡animal£»¡¡Jones¡¡began¡¡a¡¡hurried¡¡search¡¡for¡¡a¡¡shell¡¡loaded¡¡with¡¡ball¡£¡¡The¡¡lion¡¡made¡¡for¡¡him£»¡¡compelling¡¡him¡¡to¡¡dodge¡¡behind¡¡trees¡£¡¡Even¡¡though¡¡the¡¡hounds¡¡kept¡¡nipping¡¡the¡¡cougar£»¡¡the¡¡persistent¡¡fellow¡¡still¡¡pursued¡¡the¡¡hunter¡£¡¡At¡¡last¡¡Jones¡¡found¡¡the¡¡right¡¡shell£»¡¡just¡¡as¡¡the¡¡cougar¡¡reached¡¡for¡¡him¡£¡¡Major£»¡¡the¡¡leader¡¡of¡¡the¡¡hounds£»¡¡darted¡¡bravely¡¡in£»¡¡and¡¡grasped¡¡the¡¡leg¡¡of¡¡the¡¡beast¡¡just¡¡in¡¡the¡¡nick¡¡of¡¡time¡£¡¡This¡¡enabled¡¡Jones¡¡to¡¡take¡¡aim¡¡and¡¡fire¡¡at¡¡close¡¡range£»¡¡which¡¡ended¡¡the¡¡fight¡£¡¡Upon¡¡examination£»¡¡it¡¡was¡¡discovered¡¡the¡¡cougar¡¡had¡¡been¡¡half¡­blinded¡¡by¡¡the¡¡fine¡¡shot£»¡¡which¡¡accounted¡¡for¡¡the¡¡ineffectual¡¡attempts¡¡he¡¡had¡¡made¡¡to¡¡catch¡¡Jones¡£

The¡¡mountain¡¡lion¡¡rarely¡¡attacks¡¡a¡¡human¡¡being¡¡for¡¡the¡¡purpose¡¡of¡¡eating¡£¡¡When¡¡hungry¡¡he¡¡will¡¡often¡¡follow¡¡the¡¡tracks¡¡of¡¡people£»¡¡and¡¡under¡¡favorable¡¡circumstances¡¡may¡¡ambush¡¡them¡£¡¡In¡¡the¡¡park¡¡where¡¡game¡¡is¡¡plentiful£»¡¡no¡¡one¡¡has¡¡ever¡¡known¡¡a¡¡cougar¡¡to¡¡follow¡¡the¡¡trail¡¡of¡¡a¡¡person£»¡¡but¡¡outside¡¡the¡¡park¡¡lions¡¡have¡¡been¡¡known¡¡to¡¡follow¡¡hunters£»¡¡and¡¡particularly¡¡stalk¡¡little¡¡children¡£¡¡The¡¡Davis¡¡family£»¡¡living¡¡a¡¡few¡¡miles¡¡north¡¡of¡¡the¡¡park£»¡¡have¡¡had¡¡children¡¡pursued¡¡to¡¡the¡¡very¡¡doors¡¡of¡¡their¡¡cabin¡£¡¡And¡¡other¡¡families¡¡relate¡¡similar¡¡experiences¡£¡¡Jones¡¡heard¡¡of¡¡only¡¡one¡¡fatality£»¡¡but¡¡he¡¡believes¡¡that¡¡if¡¡the¡¡children¡¡were¡¡left¡¡alone¡¡in¡¡the¡¡woods£»¡¡the¡¡cougars¡¡would¡¡creep¡¡closer¡¡and¡¡closer£»¡¡and¡¡when¡¡assured¡¡there¡¡was¡¡no¡¡danger£»¡¡would¡¡spring¡¡to¡¡kill¡£

Jones¡¡never¡¡heard¡¡the¡¡cry¡¡of¡¡a¡¡cougar¡¡in¡¡the¡¡National¡¡Park£»¡¡which¡¡strange¡¡circumstance£»¡¡considering¡¡the¡¡great¡¡number¡¡of¡¡the¡¡animals¡¡there£»¡¡he¡¡believed¡¡to¡¡be¡¡on¡¡account¡¡of¡¡the¡¡abundance¡¡of¡¡game¡£¡¡But¡¡he¡¡had¡¡heard¡¡it¡¡when¡¡a¡¡boy¡¡in¡¡Illinois£»¡¡and¡¡when¡¡a¡¡man¡¡all¡¡over¡¡the¡¡West£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡cry¡¡was¡¡always¡¡the¡¡same£»¡¡weird¡¡and¡¡wild£»¡¡like¡¡the¡¡scream¡¡of¡¡a¡¡terrified¡¡woman¡£¡¡He¡¡did¡¡not¡¡understand¡¡the¡¡significance¡¡of¡¡the¡¡cry£»¡¡unless¡¡it¡¡meant¡¡hunger£»¡¡or¡¡the¡¡wailing¡¡mourn¡¡of¡¡a¡¡lioness¡¡for¡¡her¡¡murdered¡¡cubs¡£

The¡¡destructiveness¡¡of¡¡this¡¡savage¡¡species¡¡was¡¡murderous¡£¡¡Jones¡¡came¡¡upon¡¡one¡¡old¡¡Tom's¡¡den£»¡¡where¡¡there¡¡was¡¡a¡¡pile¡¡of¡¡nineteen¡¡elk£»¡¡mostly¡¡yearlings¡£¡¡Only¡¡five¡¡or¡¡six¡¡had¡¡been¡¡eaten¡£¡¡Jones¡¡hunted¡¡this¡¡old¡¡fellow¡¡for¡¡months£»¡¡and¡¡found¡¡that¡¡the¡¡lion¡¡killed¡¡on¡¡the¡¡average¡¡three¡¡animals¡¡a¡¡week¡£¡¡The¡¡hounds¡¡got¡¡him¡¡up¡¡at¡¡length£»¡¡and¡¡chased¡¡him¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Yellowstone¡¡River£»¡¡which¡¡he¡¡swam¡¡at¡¡a¡¡point¡¡impassable¡¡for¡¡man¡¡or¡¡horse¡£¡¡One¡¡of¡¡the¡¡dogs£»¡¡a¡¡giant¡¡bloodhound¡¡named¡¡Jack£»¡¡swam¡¡the¡¡swift¡¡channel£»¡¡kept¡¡on¡¡after¡¡the¡¡lion£»¡¡but¡¡never¡¡returned¡£¡¡All¡¡cougars¡¡have¡¡their¡¡peculiar¡¡traits¡¡and¡¡habits£»¡¡the¡¡same¡¡as¡¡other¡¡creatures£»¡¡and¡¡all¡¡old¡¡Toms¡¡have¡¡strongly¡¡marked¡¡characteristics£»¡¡but¡¡this¡¡one¡¡was¡¡the¡¡most¡¡destructive¡¡cougar¡¡Jones¡¡ever¡¡knew¡£

During¡¡Jones's¡¡short¡¡sojourn¡¡as¡¡warden¡¡in¡¡the¡¡park£»¡¡he¡¡captured¡¡numerous¡¡cougars¡¡alive£»¡¡and¡¡killed¡¡seventy¡­two¡£



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