124 FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



taking up a tree. I could hear the bark from the tree falling to 

 the ground like hail. 



Mr. Nettel was still sound asleep, so I said nothing but took 

 my gun and stepped outside the shack. I could see the outlines 

 of something standing on a limb of the tree. I took the best aim 

 I could owing to the dim light and fired. The tree stood on the 

 side of the gulch, which was very steep, and when the gun cracked 

 the object in the tree apparently flew right up the side of the gulch 

 from the tree. 



The pup gave chase and within fifty yards I could again hear 

 the bark from the tree and soon again I could see the outline of 

 the animal on the tree. I was working along out towards the pup, 

 when Mr. Nettel, close to my side said, "It is a lion; be careful 

 and take good aim this time and kill him, if you can." I got up 

 to the tree where I could see the cat fairly fell, and with all the 

 care possible, I fired. The cat lit out from the tree, but this time 

 he went down the hill instead of up, and when he struck the 

 ground it was broadside instead of on all fours. As good luck 

 would have it, I had hit him square through the shoulders. 



The cat was a little over seven feet long, and Mr. Nettel said 

 that it was not a large lion, but as it was the first one that I had 

 seen then I thought it was longer than a twelve-foot rail. We 

 pulled the cat up to the shack and turned in again. It was only 

 eleven o'clock and Mr. Nettel was soon sound asleep, but I had too 

 much cat excitement for me to do any more sleeping that night. 



In the morning we skinned the cat, gathered dry leaves and 

 stuffed the skin and had a stuffed cat in camp. Later, we sold the 

 skin to a party for three dollars. We stayed in camp two weeks, 

 feasting on venison, trout, grouse, and other game. Some of the 

 time we spent prospecting for gold, but we failed to strike it rich. 



At the end of the two weeks allotted Mr. Nettel, he was 

 obliged to return to his work, and I can say that I never spent two 

 weeks' time with more pleasure than I did with the friend I found 

 while fishing for bass. 



