OCR Text |
Show ViinlFLL-iJUVK ni;." Thmim I" "' KIM i Mountain IJon r:il Vct;;li toil I'miinU. Tho"-'l-s Bowden. age IS, lias for sevc-d winters been trapping wol.es, lynx ami wild cats on the hi Hiotains tine mile east of Bng-j Bng-j nam, Thmd:iy he crowned his ' labors by the unexpected capture of a puma or mountain lion. For years the hideous howling of this tierce beast and his male had made the mountains in that vicinity ring and ipiake, much to the discomfort of the people living near the foot hills. Thursday morning, Tom shouldered his smal lesl riile and started out to interview his traps. He had gone hut a short distance, when lie was impressed to go back and take his more powerful rifle, which he did. A rri vi ng in l)ry Hollow near the Water Fulls, he saw thai the maple tree lowhich his traps had found safe security tor years had been completely chewed oil', and his big bear trap, which' required two men to set, was gone', lie was certain that nothing shortol" a bear or a panther could h ive done such work and leave such great footprints. foot-prints. Aceom pauied by KHas Pulsipher, he began, tracking the blood stains in the snow. The signs of the dragging trap and chain were easily traced. They led Up the steep mountain side by way of Water Kail Canyon. Still higher and higher up the precipitous heights Hie youths followed the blood-stained tracks. The snuw grew deeper and deeper, hut still they pushed perseveriugly forward. for-ward. Here and there the Moundeil puma had become entangled en-tangled in tree or bush, which his sharp fangs speedily leveled to the earth. In time the boys found theinsel ves in snow up to their armpits. They were among the pines, within a short distance of the summit of the mountains, which are 8,000 to 0,l)U(J feet high here. The; tracks grew fresher. Soon the; warm drops of blood were yet melting little bullet-like holesdown in the snow. Suddenly rounding a steep crag, Tom Umiul himself face to face with a monster mountain lion with blood -shot eyes and panting breath. The beast. was not six feet away. Just ns if. crouched to spring, the youth quick as a flash brought his faithful ri Ho lo his shoulder and instantly fired. Fortunately the bullet struck the lieast over the eye and ho rolled over, tearing up brush, snow and rocks in his death struggles. Another An-other shot finished him. The a iiimal was dragged down the mountain. A tape line showed the panther actually measured eight feet from tip to tip. weighed 400 pounds and mi as u red ) inches high. |