14 A BOOK-LOVER S HOLIDAYS 



are the most successful of all still-hunters, 

 killing deer much more easily than a wolf can; 

 and those we killed were very fat. 



Cougars are strange and interesting crea 

 tures. They are among the most successful 

 and to their prey the most formidable beasts 

 of rapine in the world. Yet when themselves 

 attacked they are the least dangerous of all 

 beasts of prey, except hyenas. Their every 

 movement is so lithe and stealthy, they move 

 with such sinuous and noiseless caution, and 

 are such past masters in the art of concealment, 

 that they are hardly ever seen unless roused 

 by dogs. In the wilds they occasionally kill 

 wapiti, and often bighorn sheep and white 

 goats; but their favorite prey is the deer. 



Among domestic animals, while they at times 

 kill all, including, occasionally, horned cattle, 

 they are especially destructive to horses. Among 

 the first bands of horses brought to this plateau 

 there were some of which the cougars killed 

 every foal. The big males attacked full-grown 

 horses. Uncle Jim had killed one big male 

 wjiich had killed a large draft-horse, and 

 another which had killed two saddle-horses and 

 a pack-mule, although the mule had a bell on 

 its neck, which it was mistakenly supposed 

 would keep the cougar away. We saw the 



