the last of the plainsmen-第39节

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The　mountain　lion　rarely　attacks　a　human　being　for　the　purpose　of　eating。　When　hungry　he　will　often　follow　the　tracks　of　people；　and　under　favorable　circumstances　may　ambush　them。　In　the　park　where　game　is　plentiful；　no　one　has　ever　known　a　cougar　to　follow　the　trail　of　a　person；　but　outside　the　park　lions　have　been　known　to　follow　hunters；　and　particularly　stalk　little　children。　The　Davis　family；　living　a　few　miles　north　of　the　park；　have　had　children　pursued　to　the　very　doors　of　their　cabin。　And　other　families　relate　similar　experiences。　Jones　heard　of　only　one　fatality；　but　he　believes　that　if　the　children　were　left　alone　in　the　woods；　the　cougars　would　creep　closer　and　closer；　and　when　assured　there　was　no　danger；　would　spring　to　kill。

Jones　never　heard　the　cry　of　a　cougar　in　the　National　Park；　which　strange　circumstance；　considering　the　great　number　of　the　animals　there；　he　believed　to　be　on　account　of　the　abundance　of　game。　But　he　had　heard　it　when　a　boy　in　Illinois；　and　when　a　man　all　over　the　West；　and　the　cry　was　always　the　same；　weird　and　wild；　like　the　scream　of　a　terrified　woman。　He　did　not　understand　the　significance　of　the　cry；　unless　it　meant　hunger；　or　the　wailing　mourn　of　a　lioness　for　her　murdered　cubs。

The　destructiveness　of　this　savage　species　was　murderous。　Jones　came　upon　one　old　Tom's　den；　where　there　was　a　pile　of　nineteen　elk；　mostly　yearlings。　Only　five　or　six　had　been　eaten。　Jones　hunted　this　old　fellow　for　months；　and　found　that　the　lion　killed　on　the　average　three　animals　a　week。　The　hounds　got　him　up　at　length；　and　chased　him　to　the　Yellowstone　River；　which　he　swam　at　a　point　impassable　for　man　or　horse。　One　of　the　dogs；　a　giant　bloodhound　named　Jack；　swam　the　swift　channel；　kept　on　after　the　lion；　but　never　returned。　All　cougars　have　their　peculiar　traits　and　habits；　the　same　as　other　creatures；　and　all　old　Toms　have　strongly　marked　characteristics；　but　this　one　was　the　most　destructive　cougar　Jones　ever　knew。

During　Jones's　short　sojourn　as　warden　in　the　park；　he　captured　numerous　cougars　alive；　and　killed　seventy…two。



CHAPTER　16。　KITTY

It　seemed　my　eyelids　had　scarcely　touched　when　Jones's　exasperating；　yet　stimulating；　yell　aroused　me。　Day　was　breaking。　The　moon　and　stars　shone　with　wan　luster。　A　white；　snowy　frost　silvered　the　forest。　Old　Moze　had　curled　close　beside　me；　and　now　he　gazed　at　me　reproachfully　and　shivered。　Lawson　came　hustling　in　with　the　horses。　Jim　busied　himself　around　the　campfire。　My　fingers　nearly　froze　while　I　saddled　my　horse。

At　five　o'clock　we　were　trotting　up　the　slope　of　Buckskin；　bound　for　the　section　of　ruined　rim　wall　where　we　had　encountered　the　convention　of　cougars。　Hoping　to　save　time；　we　took　a　short　cut；　and　were　soon　crossing　deep　ravines。

The　sunrise　coloring　the　purple　curtain　of　cloud　over　the　canyon　was　too　much　for　me；　and　I　lagged　on　a　high　ridge　to　watch　it；　thus　falling　behind　my　more　practical　companions。　A　far…off　〃Waa…hoo！〃　brought　me　to　a　realization　of　the　day's　stern　duty　and　I　hurried　Satan　forward　on　the　trail。

I　came　suddenly　upon　our　leader；　leading　his　horse　through　the　scrub　pinyon　on　the　edge　of　the　canyon；　and　I　knew　at　once　something　had　happened；　for　he　was　closely　scrutinizing　the　ground。

〃I　declare　this　beats　me　all　hollow！〃　began　Jones。　〃We　might　be　hunting　rabbits　instead　of　the　wildest　animals　on　the　continent。　We　jumped　a　bunch　of　lions　in　this　clump　of　pinyon。　There　must　have　been　at　least　four。　I　thought　first　we'd　run　upon　an　old　lioness　with　cubs；　but　all　the　trails　were　made　by　full…grown　lions。　Moze　took　one　north　along　the　rim；　same　as　the　other　day；　but　the　lion　got　away　quick。　Frank　saw　one　lion。　Wallace　is　following　Sounder　down　into　the　first　hollow。　Jim　has　gone　over　the　rim　wall　after　Don。　There　you　are！　Four　lions　playing　tag　in　broad　daylight　on　top　of　this　wall！　I'm　inclined　to　believe　Clarke　didn't　exaggerate。　But　confound　the　luck！　the　hounds　have　split　again。　They're　doing　their　best；　of　course；　and　it's　up　to　us　to　stay　with　them。　I'm　afraid　we'll　lose　some　of　them。　Hello！　I　hear　a　signal。　That's　from　Wallace。　Waa…hoo！　Waa…hoo！　There　he　is；　coming　out　of　the　hollow。〃

The　tall　Californian　reached　us　presently　with　Sounder　beside　him。　He　reported　that　the　hound　had　chased　a　lion　into　an　impassable　break。　We　then　joined　Frank　on　a　jutting　crag　of　the　canyon　wall。

〃Waa…hoo！〃　yelled　Jones。　There　was　no　answer　except　the　echo；　and　it　rolled　up　out　of　the　chasm　with　strange；　hollow　mockery。

〃Don　took　a　cougar　down　this　slide；〃　said　Frank。　〃I　saw　the　brute；　an'　Don　was　makin'　him　hump。　Aha！　There！　Listen　to　thet！〃

From　the　green　and　yellow　depths　soared　the　faint　yelp　of　a　hound。

〃That's　Don！　that's　Don！〃　cried　Jones。　〃He's　hot　on　something。　Where's　Sounder？　Hyar；　Sounder！　By　George！　there　he　goes　down　the　slide。　Hear　him！　He's　opened　up！　Hi！　Hi！　Hi！〃

The　deep；　full　mellow　bay　of　the　hound　came　ringing　on　the　clear　air。

〃Wallace；　you　go　down。　Frank　and　I　will　climb　out　on　that　pointed　crag。　Grey；　you　stay　here。　Then　we'll　have　the　slide　between　us。　Listen　and　watch！〃

From　my　promontory　I　watched　Wallace　go　down　with　his　gigantic　strides；　sending　the　rocks　rolling　and　cracking；　and　then　I　saw　Jones　and　Frank　crawl　out　to　the　end　of　a　crumbling　ruin　of　yellow　wall　which　threatened　to　go　splintering　and　thundering　down　into　the　abyss。

I　thought；　as　I　listened　to　the　penetrating　voice　of　the　hound；　that　nowhere　on　earth　could　there　be　a　grander　scene　for　wild　action；　wild　life。　My　position　afforded　a　commanding　view　over　a　hundred　miles　of　the　noblest　and　most　sublime　work　of　nature。　The　rim　wall　where　I　stood　sheered　down　a　thousand　feet；　to　meet　a　long　wooded　slope　which　cut　abruptly　off　into　another　giant　precipice；　a　second　long　slope　descended；　and　jumped　off　into　what　seemed　the　grave　of　the　world。　Most　striking　in　that　vast　void　were　the　long；　irregular　points　of　rim　wall；　protruding　into　the　Grand　Canyon。　From　Point　Sublime　to　the　Pink　Cliffs　of　Utah　there　were　twelve　of　these　colossal　capes；　miles　apart；　some　sharp；　some　round；　some　blunt；　all　rugged　and　bold。　The　great　chasm　in　the　middle　was　full　of　purple　smoke。　It　seemed　a　mighty　sepulcher　from　which　misty　fumes　rolled　upward。　The　turrets；　mesas；　domes；　parapets　and　escarpments　of　yellow　and　red　rock　gave　the　appearance　of　an　architectural　work　of　giant　hands。　The　wonderful　river　of　silt；　the　blood…red；　mystic　and　sullen　Rio　Colorado；　lay　hidden　except　in　one　place　far　away；　where　it　glimmered　wanly。　Thousands　of　colors　were　blended　before　my　rapt　gaze。　Yellow　predominated；　as　the　walls　and　crags　lorded　it　over　the　lower　cliffs　and　tables；　red　glared　in　the　sunlight；　green　softened　these　two；　and　then　purple　and　violet；　gray；　blue　and　the　darker　hues　shaded　away　into　dim　and　distinct　obscurity。

Excited　yells　from　my　companions　on　the　other　crag　recalled　me　to　the　living　aspect　of　the　scene。　Jones　was　leaning　far　down　in　a　niche；　at　seeming　great　hazard　of　life；　yelling　with　all　the　power　of　his　strong　lungs。　Frank　stood　still　farther　out　on　a　cracked　point　that　made　me　tremble；　and　his　yell　reenforced　Jones's。　From　far　below　rolled　up　a　chorus　of　thrilling　bays　and　yelps；　and　Jim's　call；　faint；　but　distinct　on　that　wonderfully　thin　air；　with　its　unmistakable　note　of　warning。

Then　on　the　slide　I　saw　a　lion　headed　for　the　rim　wall　and　climbing　fast。　I　added　my　exultant　cry　to　the　medley；　and　I　stretched　my　arms　wide　to　that　illimitable　void　and　gloried　in　a　moment　full　to　the　brim　of　the　tingling　joy　of　existence。　I　did　not　consider　how　painful　it　must　have　been　to　the　toiling　lion。　It　was　only　the　spell　of　wild　environment；　of　perilous　yellow　crags；　of　thin；　dry　air；　of　voice　of　man　and　dog；　of　the　stinging　expectation　of　sharp　action；　of　life。

I　watched　the　lion　growing　bigger　and　bigger。　I　saw　Don　and　Sounder　run　from　the　pinyon　into　the　open　slide；　and　heard　their　impetuous　burst　of　wild　yelps　as　they　saw　their　game。　Then　Jones's　clarion　yell　made　me　bound　for　my　horse。　I　reached　him；　was　about　to　mount；　when　Moze　came　trotting　toward　me。　I　caught　the　old　gladiator。　When　he　heard　the　chorus　from　below；　he　plunged　like　a　mad　bull。　With　both　arms　round　him　I　held　on。　I　vowed　never　to　let　him　get　down　that　slide。　He　howled　and　tore；　but　I　held　on。　My　big　black　horse　with　ears　laid　back　stood　like　a　rock。

I　heard　the　pattering　of　little　sliding　rocks　below；　stealthy　padded　footsteps　and　hard　panting　breaths；　almost　like　coughs；　then　the　lion　passed　out　of　the　slide　not　twenty　feet　away。　He　saw　us；　and　sprang　into　the　pinyon　scrub　with　the　leap　of　a　scared　deer。

Samson　himself　could　no　longer　have　held　Moze。　Away　he　darted　with　his　sharp；　angry　bark。　I　flung　myself　upon　Satan　and　rode　out　to　see　Jones　ahead　and　Frank　flashing　through　the　green　on　the　white　horse。

At　the　end　of　the　pinyon　thicket　Satan　overhauled　Jones's　bay；　and　we　entered　the　open　forest　together。　We　saw　Frank　glinting　across　the　dark　pines。

〃Hi！　Hi！〃　yelled　the　Colonel。

No　need　was　there　to　whip　or　spur　those　magnificent　horses。　They　were　fresh；　the　course　was　open；　and　smooth　as　a　racetrack；　and　the　impelling　chorus　of　the　hounds　was　in　full　blast。　I　gave　Satan　a　loose　rein；　and　he　stayed　neck　and　neck　with　the　bay。　Th