the last of the plainsmen-第38节

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rakes　leaves；　sticks　or　dirt　over　it　to　hide　it　from　other　animals。　Usually　he　returns　to　his　cache　on　the　second　night；　and　after　that　the　frequency　of　his　visits　depends　on　the　supply　of　fresh　prey。　In　remote　regions；　unfrequented　by　man；　the　lion　will　guard　his　cache　from　coyote　and　buzzards。

In　sex　there　are　about　five　female　lions　to　one　male。　This　is　caused　by　the　jealous　and　vicious　disposition　of　the　male。　It　is　a　fact　that　the　old　Toms　kill　every　young　lion　they　can　catch。　Both　male　and　female　of　the　litter　suffer　alike　until　after　weaning　time；　and　then　only　the　males。　In　this　matter　wise　animal　logic　is　displayed　by　the　Toms。　The　domestic　cat；　to　some　extent；　possesses　the　same　trait。　If　the　litter　is　destroyed；　the　mating　time　is　sure　to　come　about　regardless　of　the　season。　Thus　this　savage　trait　of　the　lions　prevents　overproduction；　and　breeds　a　hardy　and　intrepid　race。　If　by　chance　or　that　cardinal　feature　of　animal　lifethe　survival　of　the　fittesta　young　male　lion　escapes　to　the　weaning　time；　even　after　that　he　is　persecuted。　Young　male　lions　have　been　killed　and　found　to　have　had　their　flesh　beaten　until　it　was　a　mass　of　bruises　and　undoubtedly　it　had　been　the　work　of　an　old　Tom。　Moreover；　old　males　and　females　have　been　killed；　and　found　to　be　in　the　same　bruised　condition。　A　feature；　and　a　conclusive　one；　is　the　fact　that　invariably　the　female　is　suckling　her　young　at　this　period；　and　sustains　the　bruises　in　desperately　defending　her　litter。

It　is　astonishing　how　cunning；　wise　and　faithful　an　old　lioness　is。　She　seldom　leaves　her　kittens。　From　the　time　they　are　six　weeks　old　she　takes　them　out　to　train　them　for　the　battles　of　life；　and　the　struggle　continues　from　birth　to　death。　A　lion　hardly　ever　dies　naturally。　As　soon　as　night　descends；　the　lioness　stealthily　stalks　forth；　and　because　of　her　little　ones；　takes　very　short　steps。　The　cubs　follow；　stepping　in　their　mother's　tracks。　When　she　crouches　for　game；　each　little　lion　crouches　also；　and　each　one　remains　perfectly　still　until　she　springs；　or　signals　them　to　come。　If　she　secures　the　prey；　they　all　gorge　themselves。　After　the　feast　the　mother　takes　her　back　trail；　stepping　in　the　tracks　she　made　coming　down　the　mountain。　And　the　cubs　are　very　careful　to　follow　suit；　and　not　to　leave　marks　of　their　trail　in　the　soft　snow。　No　doubt　this　habit　is　practiced　to　keep　their　deadly　enemies　in　ignorance　of　their　existence。　The　old　Toms　and　white　hunters　are　their　only　foes。　Indians　never　kill　a　lion。　This　trick　of　the　lions　has　fooled　many　a　hunter；　concerning　not　only　the　direction；　but　particularly　the　number。

The　only　successful　way　to　hunt　lions　is　with　trained　dogs。　A　good　hound　can　trail　them　for　several　hours　after　the　tracks　have　been　made；　and　on　a　cloudy　or　wet　day　can　hold　the　scent　much　longer。　In　snow　the　hound　can　trail　for　three　or　four　days　after　the　track　has　been　made。

When　Jones　was　game　warden　of　the　Yellowstone　National　Park；　he　had　unexampled　opportunities　to　hunt　cougars　and　learn　their　habits。　All　the　cougars　in　that　region　of　the　Rockies　made　a　rendezvous　of　the　game　preserve。　Jones　soon　procured　a　pack　of　hounds；　but　as　they　had　been　trained　to　run　deer；　foxes　and　coyotes　he　had　great　trouble。　They　would　break　on　the　trail　of　these　animals；　and　also　on　elk　and　antelope　just　when　this　was　farthest　from　his　wish。　He　soon　realized　that　to　train　the　hounds　was　a　sore　task。　When　they　refused　to　come　back　at　his　call；　he　stung　them　with　fine　shot；　and　in　this　manner　taught　obedience。　But　obedience　was　not　enough；　the　hounds　must　know　how　to　follow　and　tree　a　lion。　With　this　in　mind；　Jones　decided　to　catch　a　lion　alive　and　give　his　dogs　practical　lessons。

A　few　days　after　reaching　this　decision；　he　discovered　the　tracks　of　two　lions　in　the　neighborhood　of　Mt。　Everett。　The　hounds　were　put　on　the　trail　and　followed　it　into　an　abandoned　coal　shaft。　Jones　recognized　this　as　his　opportunity；　and　taking　his　lasso　and　an　extra　rope；　he　crawled　into　the　hole。　Not　fifteen　feet　from　the　opening　sat　one　of　the　cougars；　snarling　and　spitting。　Jones　promptly　lassoed　it；　passed　his　end　of　the　lasso　round　a　side　prop　of　the　shaft；　and　out　to　the　soldiers　who　had　followed　him。　Instructing　them　not　to　pull　till　he　called；　he　cautiously　began　to　crawl　by　the　cougar；　with　the　intention　of　getting　farther　back　and　roping　its　hind　leg；　so　as　to　prevent　disaster　when　the　soldiers　pulled　it　out。　He　accomplished　this；　not　without　some　uneasiness　in　regard　to　the　second　lion；　and　giving　the　word　to　his　companions；　soon　had　his　captive　hauled　from　the　shaft　and　tied　so　tightly　it　could　not　move。

Jones　took　the　cougar　and　his　hounds　to　an　open　place　in　the　park；　where　there　were　trees；　and　prepared　for　a　chase。　Loosing　the　lion；　he　held　his　hounds　back　a　moment；　then　let　them　go。　Within　one　hundred　yards　the　cougar　climbed　a　tree；　and　the　dogs　saw　the　performance。　Taking　a　forked　stick；　Jones　mounted　up　to　the　cougar；　caught　it　under　the　jaw　with　the　stick；　and　pushed　it　out。　There　was　a　fight；　a　scramble；　and　the　cougar　dashed　off　to　run　up　another　tree。　In　this　manner；　he　soon　trained　his　hounds　to　the　pink　of　perfection。

Jones　discovered；　while　in　the　park；　that　the　cougar　is　king　of　all　the　beasts　of　North　America。　Even　a　grizzly　dashed　away　in　great　haste　when　a　cougar　made　his　appearance。　At　the　road　camp；　near　Mt。　Washburn；　during　the　fall　of　1904；　the　bears；　grizzlies　and　others；　were　always　hanging　round　the　cook　tent。　There　were　cougars　also；　and　almost　every　evening；　about　dusk；　a　big　fellow　would　come　parading　past　the　tent。　The　bears　would　grunt　furiously　and　scamper　in　every　direction。　It　was　easy　to　tell　when　a　cougar　was　in　the　neighborhood；　by　the　peculiar　grunts　and　snorts　of　the　bears；　and　the　sharp；　distinct；　alarmed　yelps　of　coyotes。　A　lion　would　just　as　lief　kill　a　coyote　as　any　other　animal　and　he　would　devour　it；　too。　As　to　the　fighting　of　cougars　and　grizzlies；　that　was　a　mooted　question；　with　the　credit　on　the　side　of　the　former。

The　story　of　the　doings　of　cougars；　as　told　in　the　snow；　was　intensely　fascinating　and　tragic！　How　they　stalked　deer　and　elk；　crept　to　within　springing　distance；　then　crouched　flat　to　leap；　was　as　easy　to　read　as　if　it　had　been　told　in　print。　The　leaps　and　bounds　were　beyond　belief。　The　longest　leap　on　a　level　measured　eighteen　and　one…half　feet。　Jones　trailed　a　half…grown　cougar；　which　in　turn　was　trailing　a　big　elk。　He　found　where　the　cougar　had　struck　his　game；　had　clung　for　many　rods；　to　be　dashed　off　by　the　low　limb　of　a　spruce　tree。　The　imprint　of　the　body　of　the　cougar　was　a　foot　deep　in　the　snow；　blood　and　tufts　of　hair　covered　the　place。　But　there　was　no　sign　of　the　cougar　renewing　the　chase。

In　rare　cases　cougars　would　refuse　to　run；　or　take　to　trees。　One　day　Jones　followed　the　hounds；　eight　in　number；　to　come　on　a　huge　Tom　holding　the　whole　pack　at　bay。　He　walked　to　and　fro；　lashing　his　tail　from　side　to　side；　and　when　Jones　dashed　up；　he　coolly　climbed　a　tree。　Jones　shot　the　cougar；　which；　in　falling；　struck　one　of　the　hounds；　crippling　him。　This　hound　would　never　approach　a　tree　after　this　incident；　believing　probably　that　the　cougar　had　sprung　upon　him。

Usually　the　hounds　chased　their　quarry　into　a　tree　long　before　Jones　rode　up。　It　was　always　desirable　to　kill　the　animal　with　the　first　shot。　If　the　cougar　was　wounded；　and　fell　or　jumped　among　the　dogs；　there　was　sure　to　be　a　terrible　fight；　and　the　best　dogs　always　received　serious　injuries；　if　they　were　not　killed　outright。　The　lion　would　seize　a　hound；　pull　him　close；　and　bite　him　in　the　brain。

Jones　asserted　that　a　cougar　would　usually　run　from　a　hunter；　but　that　this　feature　was　not　to　be　relied　upon。　And　a　wounded　cougar　was　as　dangerous　as　a　tiger。　In　his　hunts　Jones　carried　a　shotgun；　and　shells　loaded　with　ball　for　the　cougar；　and　others　loaded　with　fine　shot　for　the　hounds。　One　day；　about　ten　miles　from　the　camp；　the　hounds　took　a　trail　and　ran　rapidly；　as　there　were　only　a　few　inches　of　snow。　Jones　found　a　large　lion　had　taken　refuge　in　a　tree　that　had　fallen　against　another；　and　aiming　at　the　shoulder　of　the　beast；　he　fired　both　barrels。　The　cougar　made　no　sign　he　had　been　hit。　Jones　reloaded　and　fired　at　the　head。　The　old　fellow　growled　fiercely；　turned　in　the　tree　and　walked　down　head　first；　something　he　would　not　have　been　able　to　do　had　the　tree　been　upright。　The　hounds　were　ready　for　him；　but　wisely　attacked　in　the　rear。　Realizing　he　had　been　shooting　fine　shot　at　the　animal；　Jones　began　a　hurried　search　for　a　shell　loaded　with　ball。　The　lion　made　for　him；　compelling　him　to　dodge　behind　trees。　Even　though　the　hounds　kept　nipping　the　cougar；　the　persistent　fellow　still　pursued　the　hunter。　At　last　Jones　found　the　right　shell；　just　as　the　cougar　reached　for　him。　Major；　the　leader　of　the　hounds；　darted　bravely　in；　and　grasped　the　leg　of　the　beast　just　in　the　nick　of　time。　This　enabled　Jones　to　take　aim　and　fire　at　close　range；　which　ended　the　fight。　Upon　examination；　it　was　discovered　the　cougar　had　been　half…blinded　by　the　fine　shot；　which　accounted　for　the　ineffectual　attempts　he　had　made　to　catch　Jones。

The　mountain　lion　rarely　attacks　a　human　being　for　the　purpose　of　eating。　When　hungry　he　will　often　follow　the　track