| Show CAPTURING A KITTEN one bright day in may when I 1 was about 13 years om old and my brother charley aias was a year older we started out t together og to td visit the th children ildren on a farm about four miles distant charley walked his gun on his shoulder add I 1 rode rod e our olif hor horse bob I 1 did little paw pace with my iny brother I 1 had been his companion ever since he had been allowed to have a gun I 1 had gone with him on his hunting ey expeditions s to carry the game and the old horse borsi 5 was often with us on our wande wanderings rings through the woods we lived on a large farm high up among the mountains of of the coast range of california the country was very ipg sparsely insely settled and a visit to a neighbor meant a jaunt of several miles I 1 had learned to shoot well but as we had but one gun and charley was a boy he usually bally claimed the right to the gun when we went hunting the mountains were full of deer wildcats and co coons ons california lions and pani panthers hers were occasionally seen to sa say nothing of rabbits quail quad and suck such small game on this day we left the house at about 9 we trudged and logged pleasantly along but charley did lid not pleasantly kill ill even a squirrel and I 1 took pains to tease him about his bad luck we spent the day with our young friends and started on our return at about 4 in the after afternoon after we had left the main road and taken the trail toward home charley turned off into the woods to try to tore re deem his re reputation u tation as a hunter I 1 might have fo followed Flowed him but I 1 was in in I 1 haste to get home so I 1 touched up old bob with my whip and jogged bogged along down the thee lonely bridle path just as I 1 was following a bend in the roa road d a mile and a half beyond the place where charley and I 1 had parted something attracted my attention in what appeared to be a pile of leaves bedd bedded ed in the hollow roots of a great oak the object appeared ta hine shine object t turned my horse toward it to get a closer view and then discovered that the shining chinin came from the bright eyes of seve several rj beautiful little creatures which I 1 at first took to titta be laze large kittens I 1 but when I 1 t dismou dismounted I 1 olind found that they were the cubs of a mountain moun taip leont I 1 was delighted I 1 had always had a fondness for kittens and these althee little animals were much prettier than any kit kitten tet they were plump and most beautifully marked they got up and began to gambol and play with each other in the most innocent and engaging manner what ideal pets pas instantly the thought caine came to me I 1 why not capture them and take them home here would be glory for me to be sure how I 1 would triumph over charley I 1 stooped over and picked up two of them there were four in all I 1 had much difficulty in mounting my horse with the baby baby lions in my arms for they wriggled an and scratched and did everything in their power to prevent me from carrying them off but at last I 1 was in the saddle and started off fortunately my horse knew the road and was perfectly safe so I 1 merely threw the bridle over m my arm and held a crying kitten in in each kand hand how they did meow and squall I 1 first one and then the die other and then a duet r all at al once in the midst of all thas the cubs fhe ae flashed across my mind that tte the mother wald probably come home and hiding finding two of tier her babies goni gone go gb iti in quest tt of them and here I 1 was vas cie creeping along on a slow alow old horse three from home with two young lions it if was about time to wake up old bob I 1 looked for my whip it was gone probably I 1 bad atad dropped it in my attempts to mount heri here was a difficulty it was was mat 1 impossible s s i ble for me to 9 get et off and on again with t the 1 i e big kittens in my arms and the old horse would trot along for only a few steps and then subside into his usual slow walk it was only by dint of hart hard kicking and fierce jerking of the bridle that thai I 1 contrived to get h him lm into an occasional fair trot we had gone about a mile farther and I 1 was cutting cuffing one of my kittens into submission when I 1 heard what I 1 fancied was a growl behind me I 1 turned but could see nothing nevertheless I 1 felt a little nervous and kicked my feet against the horses s sides ides more vigo vigorously than ever we went on about two rods when I 1 heard the same noise a again g this time I 1 thought I 1 could coufa not be n mistaken ain I 1 t aken and I 1 was riot not turning I 1 saw to my horror that a large california lioness was coming at a dead run not a yards behind me every few steps she uttered a horrid growl rowl and she looked really fiendish vy my heart stood still but I 1 did not give v e up ap old bob too heard the noise and d increased his speed to the best pace he had of course the liatti lions had caught the sound they meowed and cried louder than ever this excited the mother the more and she redoubled her growls owls I 1 thred dared not look around but very soon it was not necessary for me to turn in norderto order to see her she was right by my side and glaring at me in the fhe most frightful manner there was nothing else to do I 1 took one of the kittens and threw it at the mother lion and I 1 threw it very hard hitting hatfull her full in the face I 1 fully beli believed tved that the old lioness would keep ou on and compel me to give ul up the other young one also and I 1 was wais astonished to see her seize this conein one in her mouth and make off as fast a as possible os s ible toward her lair athis this was very pleasing but I 1 was perfectly certain that the old lioness would come back after the remaining one and unless I 1 could get home which was not probable or should meet some one who had a gun which was not probable either she would get it away from me I 1 shouted louders tM at old bob and almost stood up in the saddle in in my excitement cit ement but the poor old horse was already going about as fast as he could go he seemed to appreciate the emergency but he was getting badly winded 0 we went on about three quarters of a mile more it occurred to mathat me that I 1 might keep the kitten from continually announcing our whereabouts to its mother so I 1 propped its mouth wide open with my fingers and this stopped its crying we were making pretty good time and I 1 was beginning to feel a little reassured bt gaj when I 1 heard the e leaves cracking behind me I 1 knew what was coming and did not took around ake on determined to hold thie the at al an hazards very soon however I 1 heard the old ii lioness 0 n ess much closer than I 1 had expected i and turned around just at the moment thatty horse made maae a violent plunge for ward the lioness had dug hir her lore fore feet teAt iata int p the horses thighs preparatory to leaping i upon his bac back lc tn with ita a terrified scream I 1 flung the kitten away with all my might the lioness ri released leased her hold on the horsey horse an and d taking 14 this kitten in her mouth as she had eafen taken the other uttered a growl ind and with a tava savage glare at me disappeared to in the thick underbrush trembling mg with fright and choked with indignation to think that after all my efforts I 1 could not keep even oae one of the pretty little creatures I 1 continued my ride home I 1 reached the gate soon and in a few moments related my adventure at the supper table before I 1 had finished charley burst into the room holding aloft a young lion my heart bounded he had c captured t u red my kitten in great excia excitement ement age he began to tell his stoa story he was just returning to the trail from r m his hunt in the woods when he met face to face the mountain mo lioness bearing her young youn one in her mouth both were very much startled lioness and boy but charlie recovered coverer his presence of mind first and ana raising raising his gun fired killing the she lion iti instantly he then picked up the little one and also succeeded in dra dragging i n g the mother a short distance 14 he left 15 t h her e r just at the edge of the woods weeds and run ran home with the living cub to get help charley magnanimously gave me the baby of course I 1 was a little crestfallen feeling that I 1 had lost my share of the glory out but I 1 was commended and complimented after all I 1 kept the little lion three years we fed him on bread and milk and as he grew he showed no ans signs of his wild nature he played amicably with the dog and was on good terms with all the f family amy one day however I 1 unfastened his ch chain to give him exercise and one 0 the first things he did was to kill a chicken it was his first taste of blood after that he committed some depredation he was let loose he grew sullen and morose at last iasi he bit a little girl who came to visit us drawing blood which he lapped eagerly she was alone with him and when we heard her cry and ran out we found that the cub had thrown the child down and was was resting his paws on her body he was killed at once I 1 felt a few severe pangs at his death boutwe saved sailed the skin charley had bad already tanned the skin of the mother we had the cubs skin treated in the same way and now when my mother tells the story of our youthful experience as she often does she points brou prou proudly to the two beautiful robes the spoils of her childrens lion hunt ff earice aex moses in iche the youths buths 11 companion |
