The Last of the Plainsmen 



&quot; That ll be fine. How about cougar sign on the 

 mountain? &quot; 



&quot; Plenty. I ve got two spotted near Oak Spring. 

 Comin over two weeks ago I tracked them in the 

 snow along the trail for miles. We ll ooze over that 

 way, as it s goin toward the Siwash. The Siwash 

 breaks of the canon there s the place for lions. I 

 met a wild-horse wrangler not long back, an he was 

 tellin me about Old Tom an the colts he d killed this 

 winter.&quot; 



Naturally, I here expressed a desire to know more 

 of Old Tom. 



&quot; He s the biggest cougar ever known of in these 

 parts. His tracks are bigger than a horse s, an have 

 been seen on Buckskin for twelve years. This wran 

 gler his name is Clark said he d turned his saddle 

 horse out to graze near camp, an Old Tom sneaked 

 in an downed him. The lions over there are sure a 

 bold bunch. Well, why shouldn t they be ? No one 

 ever hunted them. You see, the mountain is hard to 

 get at. But now you re here, if it s big cats you want, 

 we sure can find them. Only be easy, be easy. 

 You ve all the time there is. An any job on Buck 

 skin will take time. We ll look the calves over, an 

 you must ride the range to harden up. Then we ll 

 ooze over toward Oak. I expect it ll be boggy, an 



I hope the snow melts soon.&quot; 



36 



