hunting the grisly and other sketches-第22章

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as　the　cougarthat　beast　of　many　names；　known　in　the　East　as　panther
and　painter；　in　the　West　as　mountain　lion；　in　the　Southwest　as　Mexican
lion；　and　in　the　southern　continent　as　lion　and　puma。

Without　hounds　its　pursuit　is　so　uncertain　that　from　the　still…
hunter's　standpoint　it　hardly　deserves　to　rank　as　game　at　allthough；
by　the　way；　it　is　itself　a　more　skilful　still…hunter　than　any　human
rival。　It　prefers　to　move　abroad　by　night　or　at　dusk；　and　in　the
daytime　usually　lies　hid　in　some　cave　or　tangled　thicket　where　it　is
absolutely　impossible　even　to　stumble　on　it　by　chance。　It　is　a　beast
of　stealth　and　rapine；　its　great；　velvet　paws　never　make　a　sound；　and
it　is　always　on　the　watch　whether　for　prey　or　for　enemies；　while　it
rarely　leaves　shelter　even　when　it　thinks　itself　safe。　Its　soft；
leisurely　movements　and　uniformity　of　color　make　it　difficult　to
discover　at　best；　and　its　extreme　watchfulness　helps　it；　but　it　is　the
cougar's　reluctance　to　leave　cover　at　any　time；　its　habit　of　slinking
off　through　the　brush；　instead　of　running　in　the　open；　when　startled；
and　the　way　in　which　it　lies　motionless　in　its　lair　even　when　a　man　is
within　twenty　yards；　that　render　it　so　difficult　to　still…hunt。

In　fact　it　is　next　to　impossible　with　any　hope　of　success　regularly　to
hunt　the　cougar　without　dogs　or　bait。　Most　cougars　that　are　killed　by
still…hunters　are　shot　by　accident　while　the　man　is　after　other　game。
This　has　been　my　own　experience。　Although　not　common；　cougars　are
found　near　my　ranch；　where　the　ground　is　peculiarly　favorable　for　the
solitary　rifleman；　and　for　ten　years　I　have；　off　and　on；　devoted　a　day
or　two　to　their　pursuit；　but　never　successfully。　One　December　a　large
cougar　took　up　his　abode　on　a　densely　wooded　bottom　two　miles　above
the　ranch　house。　I　did　not　discover　his　existence　until　I　went　there
one　evening　to　kill　a　deer；　and　found　that　he　had　driven　all　the　deer
off　the　bottom；　having　killed　several；　as　well　as　a　young　heifer。　Snow
was　falling　at　the　time；　but　the　storm　was　evidently　almost　over；　the
leaves　were　all　off　the　trees　and　bushes；　and　I　felt　that　next　day
there　would　be　such　a　chance　to　follow　the　cougar　as　fate　rarely
offered。　In　the　morning　by　dawn　I　was　at　the　bottom；　and　speedily
found　his　trail。　Following　it　I　came　across　his　bed；　among　some　cedars
in　a　dark；　steep　gorge；　where　the　buttes　bordered　the　bottom。　He　had
evidently　just　left　it；　and　I　followed　his　tracks　all　day。　But　I　never
caught　a　glimpse　of　him；　and　late　in　the　afternoon　I　trudged　wearily
homewards。　When　I　went　out　next　morning　I　found　that　as　soon　as　I
abandoned　the　chase；　my　quarry；　according　to　the　uncanny　habit
sometimes　displayed　by　his　kind；　coolly　turned　likewise；　and
deliberately　dogged　my　footsteps　to　within　a　mile　of　the　ranch　house；
his　round　footprints　being　as　clear　as　writing　in　the　snow。

This　was　the　best　chance　of　the　kind　that　I　ever　had；　but　again　and
again　I　have　found　fresh　signs　of　cougar；　such　as　a　lair　which　they
had　just　left；　game　they　had　killed；　or　one　of　our　venison　caches
which　they　had　robbed；　and　have　hunted　for　them　all　day　without
success。　My　failures　were　doubtless　due　in　part　to　various
shortcomings　in　hunter's…craft　on　my　own　part；　but　equally　without
doubt　they　were　mainly　due　to　the　quarry's　wariness　and　its　sneaking
ways。

I　have　seen　a　wild　cougar　alive　but　twice；　and　both　times　by　chance。
On　one　occasion　one　of　my　men；　Merrifield；　and　I　surprised　one　eating
a　skunk　in　a　bull…berry　patch；　and　by　our　own　bungling　frightened　it
away　from　its　unsavory　repast　without　getting　a　shot。

On　the　other　occasion　luck　befriended　me。　I　was　with　a　pack　train　in
the　Rockies；　and　one　day；　feeling　lazy；　and　as　we　had　no　meat　in　camp；
I　determined　to　try　for　deer　by　lying　in　wait　beside　a　recently
travelled　game　trail。　The　spot　I　chose　was　a　steep；　pine…clad　slope
leading　down　to　a　little　mountain　lake。　I　hid　behind　a　breastwork　of
rotten　logs；　with　a　few　young　evergreens　in　frontan　excellent
ambush。　A　broad　game　trail　slanted　down　the　hill　directly　past　me。　I
lay　perfectly　quiet　for　about　an　hour；　listening　to　the　murmur　of　the
pine　forests；　and　the　occasional　call　of　a　jay　or　woodpecker；　and
gazing　eagerly　along　the　trail　in　the　waning　light　of　the　late
afternoon。　Suddenly；　without　noise　or　warning　of　any　kind；　a　cougar
stood　in　the　trail　before　me。　The　unlooked…for　and　unheralded　approach
of　the　beast　was　fairly　ghost…like。　With　its　head　lower　than　its
shoulders；　and　its　long　tail　twitching；　it　slouched　down　the　path；
treading　as　softly　as　a　kitten。　I　waited　until　it　had　passed　and　then
fired　into　the　short　ribs；　the　bullet　ranging　forward。　Throwing　its
tail　up　in　the　air；　and　giving　a　bound；　the　cougar　galloped　off　over　a
slight　ridge。　But　it　did　not　go　far；　within　a　hundred　yards　I　found　it
stretched　on　its　side；　its　jaws　still　working　convulsively。

The　true　way　to　hunt　the　cougar　is　to　follow　it　with　dogs。　If　the
chase　is　conducted　in　this　fashion；　it　is　very　exciting；　and　resembles
on　a　larger　scale　the　ordinary　method　of　hunting　the　wildcat　or　small
lynx；　as　practised　by　the　sport…loving　planters　of　the　southern
States。　With　a　very　little　training；　hounds　readily　and　eagerly　pursue
the　cougar；　showing　in　this　kind　of　chase　none　of　the　fear　and　disgust
they　are　so　prone　to　exhibit　when　put　on　the　trail　of　the　certainly　no
more　dangerous　wolf。　The　cougar；　when　the　hounds　are　on　its　track；　at
first　runs；　but　when　hard…pressed　takes　to　a　tree；　or　possibly　comes
to　bay　in　thick　cover。　Its　attention　is　then　so　taken　up　with　the
hounds　that　it　can　usually　be　approached　and　shot　without　much
difficulty；　though　some　cougars　break　bay　when　the　hunters　come　near；
and　again　make　off；　when　they　can　only　be　stopped　by　many　large　and
fierce　hounds。　Hounds　are　often　killed　in　these　fights；　and　if　hungry
a　cougar　will　pounce　on　any　dog　for　food；　yet；　as　I　have　elsewhere
related；　I　know　of　one　instance　in　which　a　small　pack　of　big；　savage
hounds　killed　a　cougar　unassisted。　General　Wade　Hampton；　who　with
horse　and　hound　has　been　the　mightiest　hunter　America　has　ever　seen；
informs　me　that　he　has　killed　with　his　pack　some　sixteen　cougars；
during　the　fifty　years　he　has　hunted　in　South　Carolina　and
Mississippi。　I　believe　they　were　all　killed　in　the　latter　State。
General　Hampton's　hunting　has　been　chiefly　for　bear　and　deer；　though
his　pack　also　follows　the　lynx　and　the　gray　fox；　and；　of　course；　if
good　fortune　throws　either　a　wolf　or　a　cougar　in　his　way　it　is
followed　as　the　game　of　all　others。　All　the　cougars　he　killed　were
either　treed　or　brought　to　bay　in　a　canebrake　by　the　hounds；　and　they
often　handled　the　pack　very　roughly　in　the　death　struggle。　He　found
them　much　more　dangerous　antagonists　than　the　black　bear　when　assailed
with　the　hunting　knife；　a　weapon　of　which　he　was　very　fond。　However；
if　his　pack　had　held　a　few　very　large；　savage；　dogs；　put　in　purely　for
fighting　when　the　quarry　was　at　bay；　I　think　the　danger　would　have
been　minimized。

General　Hampton　followed　his　game　on　horseback；　but　in　following　the
cougar　with　dogs　this　is　by　no　means　always　necessary。　Thus　Col。　Cecil
Clay；　of　Washington；　killed　a　cougar　in　West　Virginia；　on　foot　with
only　three　or　four　hounds。　The　dogs　took　the　cold　trail；　and　he　had　to
run　many　miles　over　the　rough；　forest…clad　mountains　after　them。
Finally　they　drove　the　cougar　up　a　tree；　where　he　found　it；　standing
among　the　branches；　in　a　half…erect　position；　its　hind…feet　on　one
limb　and　its　fore…feet　on　another；　while　it　glared　down　at　the　dogs；
and　switched　its　tail　from　side　to　side。　He　shot　it　through　both
shoulders；　and　down　it　came　in　a　heap；　whereupon　the　dogs　jumped　in
and　worried　it；　for　its　fore…legs　were　useless；　though　it　managed　to
catch　one　dog　in　its　jaws　and　bite　him　severely。

A　wholly　exceptional　instance　of　the　kind　was　related　to　me　by　my　old
hunting　friend　Willis。　In　his　youth；　in　southwest　Missouri；　he　knew　a
half…witted　〃poor　white〃　who　was　very　fond　of　hunting　coons。　He　hunted
at　night；　armed　with　an　axe；　and　accompanied　by　his　dog　Penny；　a
large；　savage；　half…starved　cur。　One　dark　night　the　dog　treed　an
animal　which　he　could　not　see；　so　he