hunting the grisly and other sketches-第24章

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and　unarmed　negro。　General　Hampton　tells　me　that　near　his　Mississippi
plantation；　many　years　ago；　a　negro　who　was　one　of　a　gang　engaged　in
building　a　railroad　through　low　and　wet　ground　was　waylaid　and　killed
by　a　cougar　late　one　night　as　he　was　walking　alone　through　the　swamp。

I　knew　two　men　in　Missoula　who　were　once　attacked　by　cougars　in　a　very
curious　manner。　It　was　in　January；　and　they　were　walking　home　through
the　snow　after　a　hunt；　each　carrying　on　his　back　the　saddle；　haunches；
and　hide　of　a　deer　he　had　slain。　Just　at　dusk；　as　they　were　passing
through　a　narrow　ravine；　the　man　in　front　heard　his　partner　utter　a
sudden　loud　call　for　help。　Turning；　he　was　dumbfounded　to　see　the　man
lying　on　his　face　in　the　snow；　with　a　cougar　which　had　evidently　just
knocked　him　down　standing　over　him；　grasping　the　deer　meat；　while
another　cougar　was　galloping　up　to　assist。　Swinging　his　rifle　round　he
shot　the　first　one　in　the　brain；　and　it　dropped　motionless；　whereat
the　second　halted；　wheeled；　and　bounded　into　the　woods。　His　companion
was　not　in　the　least　hurt　or　even　frightened；　though　greatly　amazed。
The　cougars　were　not　full　grown；　but　young　of　the　year。

Now　in　this　case　I　do　not　believe　the　beasts　had　any　real　intention　of
attacking　the　men。　They　were　young　animals；　bold；　stupid；　and　very
hungry。　The　smell　of　the　raw　meat　excited　them　beyond　control；　and
they　probably　could　not　make　out　clearly　what　the　men　were；　as　they
walked　bent　under　their　burdens；　with　the　deer　skins　on　their　backs。
Evidently　the　cougars　were　only　trying　to　get　at　the　venison。

In　1886　a　cougar　killed　an　Indian　near　Flathead　Lake。　Two　Indians　were
hunting　together　on　horseback　when　they　came　on　the　cougar。　It　fell　at
once　to　their　shots；　and　they　dismounted　and　ran　towards　it。　Just　as
they　reached　it　it　came　to；　and　seized　one；　killing　him　instantly　with
a　couple　of　savage　bites　in　the　throat　and　chest；　it　then　raced　after
the　other；　and；　as　he　sprung　on　his　horse；　struck　him　across　the
buttocks；　inflicting　a　deep　but　not　dangerous　scratch。　I　saw　this
survivor　a　year　later。　He　evinced　great　reluctance　to　talk　of　the
event；　and　insisted　that　the　thing　which　had　slain　his　companion　was
not　really　a　cougar　at　all；　but　a　devil。

A　she…cougar　does　not　often　attempt　to　avenge　the　loss　of　her　young；
but　sometimes　she　does。　A　remarkable　instance　of　the　kind　happened　to
my　friend；　Professor　John　Bache　McMaster；　in　1875。　He　was　camped　near
the　head　of　Green　River；　Wyoming。　One　afternoon　he　found　a　couple　of
cougar　kittens；　and　took　them　into　camp；　they　were　clumsy；　playful；
friendly　little　creatures。　The　next　afternoon　he　remained　in　camp　with
the　cook。　Happening　to　look　up　suddenly　he　spied　the　mother　cougar
running　noiselessly　down　on　them；　her　eyes　glaring　and　tail　twitching。
Snatching　up　his　rifle；　he　killed　her　when　she　was　barely　twenty　yards
distant。

A　ranchman；　named　Trescott；　who　was　at　one　time　my　neighbor；　told　me
that　while　he　was　living　on　a　sheep…farm　in　the　Argentine；　he　found
pumas　very　common；　and　killed　many。　They　were　very　destructive　to
sheep　and　colts；　but　were　singularly　cowardly　when　dealing　with　men。
Not　only　did　they　never　attack　human　beings；　under　any　stress　of
hunger；　but　they　made　no　effective　resistance　when　brought　to　bay；
merely　scratching　and　cuffing　like　a　big　cat；　so　that　if　found　in　a
cave；　it　was　safe　to　creep　in　and　shoot　them　with　a　revolver。　Jaguars；
on　the　contrary；　were　very　dangerous　antagonists。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　VI。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A　PECCARY　HUNT　ON　THE　NUECES。

In　the　United　States　the　peccary　is　only　found　in　the　southernmost
corner　of　Texas。　In　April　1892；　I　made　a　flying　visit　to　the　ranch
country　of　this　region；　starting　from　the　town　of　Uvalde　with　a　Texan
friend；　Mr。　John　Moore。　My　trip　being　very　hurried；　I　had　but　a　couple
of　days　to　devote　to　hunting。

Our　first　halting…place　was　at　a　ranch　on　the　Frio；　a　low；　wooden
building；　of　many　rooms；　with　open　galleries　between　them；　and
verandas　round　about。　The　country　was　in　some　respects　like；　in　others
strangely　unlike；　the　northern　plains　with　which　I　was　so　well
acquainted。　It　was　for　the　most　part　covered　with　a　scattered　growth
of　tough；　stunted　mesquite　trees；　not　dense　enough　to　be　called　a
forest；　and　yet　sufficiently　close　to　cut　off　the　view。　It　was　very
dry；　even　as　compared　with　the　northern　plains。　The　bed　of　the　Frio
was　filled　with　coarse　gravel；　and　for　the　most　part　dry　as　a　bone　on
the　surface；　the　water　seeping　through　underneath；　and　only　appearing
in　occasional　deep　holes。　These　deep　holes　or　ponds　never　fail；　even
after　a　year's　drought；　they　were　filled　with　fish。　One　lay　quite　near
the　ranch　house；　under　a　bold　rocky　bluff；　at　its　edge　grew　giant
cypress　trees。　In　the　hollows　and　by　the　watercourses　were　occasional
groves　of　pecans；　live…oaks；　and　elms。　Strange　birds　hopped　among　the
bushes；　the　chaparral　cocka　big；　handsome　ground…cuckoo　of
remarkable　habits；　much　given　to　preying　on　small　snakes　and　lizards
ran　over　the　ground　with　extraordinary　rapidity。　Beautiful　swallow…
tailed　king…birds　with　rosy　plumage　perched　on　the　tops　of　the　small
trees；　and　soared　and　flitted　in　graceful　curves　above　them。
Blackbirds　of　many　kinds　scuttled　in　flocks　about　the　corrals　and
outbuildings　around　the　ranches。　Mocking…birds　abounded；　and　were　very
noisy；　singing　almost　all　the　daytime；　but　with　their　usual　irritating
inequality　of　performance；　wonderfully　musical　and　powerful　snatches
of　song　being　interspersed　with　imitations　of　other　bird　notes　and
disagreeable　squalling。　Throughout　the　trip　I　did　not　hear　one　of　them
utter　the　beautiful　love　song　in　which　they　sometimes　indulge　at
night。

The　country　was　all　under　wire　fence；　unlike　the　northern　regions；　the
pastures　however　being　sometimes　many　miles　across。　When　we　reached
the　Frio　ranch　a　herd　of　a　thousand　cattle　had　just　been　gathered；　and
two　or　three　hundred　beeves　and　young　stock　were　being　cut　out　to　be
driven　northward　over　the　trail。　The　cattle　were　worked　in　pens　much
more　than　in　the　North；　and　on　all　the　ranches　there　were　chutes　with
steering　gates；　by　means　of　which　individuals　of　a　herd　could　be
dexterously　shifted　into　various　corrals。　The　branding　of　the　calves
was　done　ordinarily　in　one　of　these　corrals　and　on　foot；　the　calf
being　always　roped　by　both　forelegs；　otherwise　the　work　of　the
cowpunchers　was　much　like　that　of　their　brothers　in　the　North。　As　a
whole；　however；　they　were　distinctly　more　proficient　with　the　rope；
and　at　least　half　of　them　were　Mexicans。

There　were　some　bands　of　wild　cattle　living　only　in　the　densest　timber
of　the　river　bottoms　which　were　literally　as　wild　as　deer；　and
moreover　very　fierce　and　dangerous。　The　pursuit　of　these　was　exciting
and　hazardous　in　the　extreme。　The　men　who　took　part　in　it　showed　not
only　the　utmost　daring　but　the　most　consummate　horsemanship　and
wonderful　skill　in　the　use　of　the　rope；　the　coil　being　hurled　with　the
force　and　precision　of　an　iron　quiot；　a　single　man　speedily
overtaking；　roping；　throwing；　and　binding　down　the　fiercest　steer　or
bull。

There　had　been　many　peccaries；　or；　as　the　Mexicans　and　cowpunchers　of
the　border　usually　call　them；　javalinas；　round　this　ranch　a　few　years
before　the　date　of　my　visit。　Until　1886；　or　thereabouts；　these　little
wild　hogs　were　not　much　molested；　and　abounded　in　the　dense　chaparral
around　the　lower　Rio　Grande。　In　that　year；　however；　it　was　suddenly
discovered　that　their　hides　had　a　market　value；　being　worth　four　bits
that　is；　half　a　dollarapiece；　and　many　Mexicans　and　not　a　few
shiftless　Texans　went　into　the　business　of　hunting　them　as　a　means　of
livelihood。　They　were　more　easily　killed　than　deer；　and；　as　a　result；
they　were　speedily　exterminated　in　many　localities　where　they　had
formerly　been　numerous；　and　even　where　they　were　left　were　to　be　found
only　in　greatly　diminished　numbers。　On　this　particular　Frio　ranch　the
last　little　band　had　been　killed　nearly　a　year　before。　There　were
three　of　them；　a　boar　and　two　sows；　and　a　couple　of　the　cowboys
stumbled　on　them　early　one　morning　while　out　with　a　dog。　After　half　a
mile's　chase　the　three　pe