Jones on Cougars 



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 danger 

 ous 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. Real 

 izing 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 



281 





