112 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



claws in his breast; but he, being of a powerful frame, 

 seized his foe by the throat and held it in a vise-like grip 

 until it let go its hold. He held it in that position until 

 he got on his feet, when he flung it away from him and 

 attempted to escape, but the brute was not to be balked, 

 and, before he ran three paces, it sprung upon him once 

 more, and again a desperate struggle commenced, in which 

 the man was getting the worst of it, as he was severely bit- 

 ten in the arms, and his sides and chest were torn by its 

 long, hooked, and iron-like claws. Seeing that his strength 

 would soon be exhausted unless he could kill the animal, 

 he made a desperate effort to choke it; but he was so 

 weak from the contest and loss of blood that his efforts 

 were futile. He had about given up all hope of his life, 

 when he saw a large stone on the road ; and seizing that 

 eagerly, and despite the assaults of his fierce foe, he began 

 to raiu blows on the head of the latter with all his strength 

 for several seconds. These caused it to loosen its hold on 

 his arm and to drop to the ground, its face besmeared with 

 blood ; and when the farmer saw that, he hurled the stone 

 with all his might at its skull and sent it crashing into the 

 brain, killing it almost instantaneously. When the victory 

 was won, he fell in a swoon from exhaustion and the loss of 

 blood, and was in that condition when he was found by a 

 neighbor of his who was going home in a wagon. Both 

 the combatants were placed in the vehicle and taken back 

 to town, for the man was so severely wounded that surgi- 

 cal aid was promptly required, and there he remained for 

 two months before he was deemed sufficiently recovered to 

 go home. 



An acquaintance of mine, while out grouse-shooting one 

 day, met two cougar kittens, apparently about three months 

 old, and chased them at once. Finding they would be over- 

 taken, they clambered up a young fir, and he followed in 

 hot pursuit, and soon had them by the nape of the neck. 

 He held them in that position while he searched in his 

 pocket for a piece of twine with which to tie them, and 

 during that time they were "youling" loudly and trying 



