188 TRUE BEAR STORIES. 



mountain lions and panthers managed to 

 keep things from becoming dull. They 

 came into camp several times and made 

 the canyon ring with their yowling, but they 

 always kept brush between themselves and 

 the fire-light, and it was impossible to get 

 a shot at them. Their raids became so an- 

 noying that two hounds were procured and 

 brought into camp; after that the night- 

 prowling beasts kept at a respectful dis- 

 tance. Being unable to steal any more 

 provisions from the Examiner outfit, the 

 lions turned their attention to the sheep 

 camps. One night a lion sneaked up 

 through a willow thicket to the nearest 

 sheep camp and killed three sheep. He was 

 a dainty lion, evidently, as he only cut the 

 throats of the sheep and drank their blood 

 and did not eat any mutton. The same lion 

 followed the scent of a carcass that had 

 been dragged to the bear trap for bait, but 

 he stopped twenty yards from the trap, and 

 went away, not caring to risk his neck 

 by going into any such contrivance. 



