The Last of the Plainsmen 



was a sleek cream and white pinto. Upon his side 

 and back were long regular scars, some an inch wide, 

 and bare of hair. 



&quot; How on earth did he get rid of the cougar? &quot; 

 asked Jones. 



&quot; I don t know. Perhaps he got scared of the 

 dogs. It took thet pinto a year to git well. Old 

 Tom is a real lion. He ll kill a full-grown hoss when 

 he wants, but a yearlin colt is his especial likin . 

 You re sure to run acrost his trail, an you ll never 

 miss it. Wai, if I find any cougar sign dowr in the 

 canon, I ll build two fires so as to let you know. 

 Though no hunter, I m tolerably acquainted with the 

 varmints. The deer an hosses are rangin the forest 

 slopes now, an I think the cougars come up over 

 the rim rock at night an 1 go back in the mornin . 

 Anyway, if your dogs can follow the trails, you ve got 

 sport, an more n sport comin to you. But take it 

 from me don t try to rope Old Tom.&quot; 



After all our disappointments in the beginning of 

 the expedition, our hardship on the desert, our trials 

 with the dogs and horses, it was real pleasure to make 

 permanent camp with wood, water and feed at hand, 

 a soul-stirring, ever-changing picture before us, and 

 the certainty that we were in the wild lairs of the 

 lions among the Lords of the Crags! 



While we were unpacking, every now and then I 



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