hunting the grisly and other sketches-第23章

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large；　savage；　half…starved　cur。　One　dark　night　the　dog　treed　an
animal　which　he　could　not　see；　so　he　cut　down　the　tree；　and
immediately　Penny　jumped　in　and　grabbed　the　beast。　The　man　sung　out
〃Hold　on；　Penny；〃　seeing　that　the　dog　had　seized　some　large；　wild
animal；　the　next　moment　the　brute　knocked　the　dog　endways；　and　at　the
same　instant　the　man　split　open　its　head　with　the　axe。　Great　was　his
astonishment；　and　greater　still　the　astonishment　of　the　neighbors　next
day　when　it　was　found　that　he　had　actually　killed　a　cougar。　These
great　cats　often　take　to　trees　in　a　perfectly　foolish　manner。　My
friend；　the　hunter　Woody；　in　all　his　thirty　years'　experience　in　the
wilds　never　killed　but　one　cougar。　He　was　lying　out　in　camp　with　two
dogs　at　the　time；　it　was　about　midnight；　the　fire　was　out；　and　the
night　was　pitch…black。　He　was　roused　by　the　furious　barking　of　his　two
dogs；　who　had　charged　into　the　gloom；　and　were　apparently　baying　at
something　in　a　tree　close　by。　He　kindled　the　fire；　and　to　his
astonishment　found　the　thing　in　the　tree　to　be　a　cougar。　Coming　close
underneath　he　shot　it　with　his　revolver；　thereupon　it　leaped　down；　ran
some　forty　yards；　and　climbed　up　another　tree；　where　it　died　among　the
branches。

If　cowboys　come　across　a　cougar　in　open　ground　they　invariably　chase
and　try　to　rope　itas　indeed　they　do　with　any　wild　animal。　I　have
known　several　instances　of　cougars　being　roped　in　this　way；　in　one　the
animal　was　brought　into　camp　alive　by　two　strapping　cowpunchers。

The　cougar　sometimes　stalks　its　prey；　and　sometimes　lies　in　wait　for
it　beside　a　game…trail　or　drinking　poolvery　rarely　indeed　does　it
crouch　on　the　limb　of　a　tree。　When　excited　by　the　presence　of　game　it
is　sometimes　very　bold。　Willis　once　fired　at　some　bighorn　sheep；　on　a
steep　mountain…side；　he　missed；　and　immediately　after　his　shot；　a
cougar　made　a　dash　into　the　midst　of　the　flying　band；　in　hopes　to
secure　a　victim。　The　cougar　roams　over　long　distances；　and　often
changes　its　hunting　ground；　perhaps　remaining　in　one　place　two　or
three　months；　until　the　game　is　exhausted；　and　then　shifting　to
another。　When　it　does　not　lie　in　wait　it　usually　spends　most　of　the
night；　winter　and　summer；　in　prowling　restlessly　around　the　places
where　it　thinks　it　may　come　across　prey；　and　it　will　patiently　follow
an　animal's　trail。　There　is　no　kind　of　game；　save　the　full…grown
grisly　and　buffalo；　which　it　does　not　at　times　assail　and　master。　It
readily　snaps　up　grisly　cubs　or　buffalo　calves；　and　in　at　least　one
instance；　I　have　know　of　it　springing　on；　slaying；　and　eating　a　full…
grown　wolf。　I　presume　the　latter　was　taken　by　surprise。　On　the　other
hand；　the　cougar　itself　has　to　fear　the　big　timber　wolves　when
maddened　by　the　winter　hunger　and　gathered　in　small　parties；　while　a
large　grisly　would　of　course　be　an　overmatch　for　it　twice　over；　though
its　superior　agility　puts　it　beyond　the　grisly's　power　to　harm　it；
unless　by　some　unlucky　chance　taken　in　a　cave。　Nor　could　a　cougar
overcome　a　bull　moose；　or　a　bull　elk　either；　if　the　latter's　horns
were　grown；　save　by　taking　it　unawares。　By　choice；　with　such　big　game；
its　victims　are　the　cows　and　young。　The　prong…horn　rarely　comes　within
reach　of　its　spring；　but　it　is　the　dreaded　enemy　of　bighorn；　white
goat；　and　every　kind　of　deer；　while　it　also　preys　on　all　the　smaller
beasts；　such　as　foxes；　coons；　rabbits；　beavers；　and　even　gophers；
rats；　and　mice。　It　sometimes　makes　a　thorny　meal　of　the　porcupine；　and
if　sufficiently　hungry　attacks　and　eats　its　smaller　cousin　the　lynx。
It　is　not　a　brave　animal；　nor　does　it　run　its　prey　down　in　open　chase。
It　always　makes　its　attacks　by　stealth；　and　if　possible　from　behind；
and　relies　on　two　or　three　tremendous　springs　to　bring　it　on　the
doomed　creature's　back。　It　uses　its　claws　as　well　as　its　teeth　in
holding　and　killing　the　prey。　If　possible　it　always　seizes　a　large
animal　by　the　throat；　whereas　the　wolf's　point　of　attack　is　more　often
the　haunch　or　flank。　Small　deer　or　sheep　it　will　often　knock　over　and
kill；　merely　using　its　big　paws；　sometimes　it　breaks　their　necks。　It
has　a　small　head　compared　to　the　jaguar；　and　its　bite　is　much　less
dangerous。　Hence；　as　compared　to　its　larger　and　bolder　relative；　it
places　more　trust　in　its　claws　and　less　in　its　teeth。

Though　the　cougar　prefers　woodland；　it　is　not　necessarily　a　beast　of
the　dense　forests　only；　for　it　is　found　in　all　the　plains　country；
living　in　the　scanty　timber　belts　which　fringe　the　streams；　or　among
the　patches　of　brush　in　the　Bad　Lands。　The　persecution　of　hunters
however　always　tends　to　drive　it　into　the　most　thickly　wooded　and
broken　fastnesses　of　the　mountains。　The　she　has　from　one　to　three
kittens；　brought　forth　in　a　cave　or　a　secluded　lair；　under　a　dead　log
or　in　very　thick　brush。　It　is　said　that　the　old　he's　kill　the　small
male　kittens　when　they　get　a　chance。　They　certainly　at　times　during
the　breeding　season　fight　desperately　among　themselves。　Cougars　are
very　solitary　beasts；　it　is　rare　to　see　more　than　one　at　a　time；　and
then　only　a　mother　and　young；　or　a　mated　male　and　female。　While　she
has　kittens；　the　mother　is　doubly　destructive　to　game。　The　young　begin
to　kill　for　themselves　very　early。　The　first　fall；　after　they　are
born；　they　attack　large　game；　and　from　ignorance　are　bolder　in　making
their　attacks　than　their　parents；　but　they　are　clumsy　and　often　let
the　prey　escape。　Like　all　cats；　cougars　are　comparatively　easy　to
trap；　much　more　so　than　beasts　of　the　dog　kind；　such　as　the　fox　and
wolf。

They　are　silent　animals；　but　old　hunters　say　that　at　mating　time　the
males　call　loudly；　while　the　females　have　a　very　distinct　answer。　They
are　also　sometimes　noisy　at　other　seasons。　I　am　not　sure　that　I　have
ever　heard　one；　but　one　night；　while　camped　in　a　heavily　timbered
coulie　near　Kildeer　Mountains；　where；　as　their　footprints　showed；　the
beasts　were　plentiful；　I　twice　heard　a　loud；　wailing　scream　ringing
through　the　impenetrable　gloom　which　shrouded　the　hills　around　us。　My
companion；　an　old　plainsman；　said　that　this　was　the　cry　of　the　cougar
prowling　for　its　prey。　Certainly　no　man　could　well　listen　to　a　stranger
and　wilder　sound。

Ordinarily　the　rifleman　is　in　no　danger　from　a　hunted　cougar；　the
beast's　one　idea　seems　to　be　flight；　and　even　if　its　assailant　is　very
close；　it　rarely　charges　if　there　is　any　chance　for　escape。　Yet　there
are　occasions　when　it　will　show　fight。　In　the　spring　of　1890；　a　man
with　whom　I　had　more　than　once　worked　on　the　round…upthough　I　never
knew　his　namewas　badly　mauled　by　a　cougar　near　my　ranch。　He　was
hunting　with　a　companion　and　they　unexpectedly　came　on　the　cougar　on　a
shelf　of　sandstone　above　their　herds；　only　some　ten　feet　off。　It
sprang　down　on　the　man；　mangled　him　with　teeth　and　claws　for　a　moment；
and　then　ran　away。　Another　man　I　knew；　a　hunter　named　Ed。　Smith；　who
had　a　small　ranch　near　Helena；　was　once　charged　by　a　wounded　cougar；
he　received　a　couple　of　deep　scratches；　but　was　not　seriously　hurt。

Many　old　frontiersmen　tell　tales　of　the　cougar's　occasionally　itself
making　the　attack；　and　dogging　to　his　death　some　unfortunate　wayfarer。
Many　others　laugh　such　tales　to　scorn。　It　is　certain　that　if　such
attacks　occur　they　are　altogether　exceptional；　being　indeed　of　such
extreme　rarity　that　they　may　be　entirely　disregarded　in　practice。　I
should　have　no　more　hesitation　in　sleeping　out　in　a　wood　where　there
were　cougars；　or　walking　through　it　after　nightfall；　than　I　should
have　if　the　cougars　were　tomcats。

Yet　it　is　foolish　to　deny　that　in　exceptional　instances　attacks　may
occur。　Cougars　vary　wonderfully　in　size；　and　no　less　in　temper。　Indeed
I　think　that　by　nature　they　are　as　ferocious　and　bloodthirsty　as　they
are　cowardly；　and　that　their　habit　of　sometimes　dogging　wayfarers　for
miles　is　due　to　a　desire　for　bloodshed　which　they　lack　the　courage　to
realize。　In　the　old　days；　when　all　wild　beasts　were　less　shy　than　at
present；　there　was　more　danger　from　the　cougar；　and　this　was
especially　true　in　the　dark　canebrakes　of　some　of　the　southern　States
where　the　man　a　cougar　was　most　likely　to　encounter　was　a　nearly　naked
and　unarmed　negro。　General　Hampton　tells　me　that　near　his　Miss