52 HUNTING TRIPS 



and after a sharp chase treed him. As the 

 hunters drew near he leaped from the tree 

 and made off, but was overtaken by the 

 hounds and torn to pieces after a sharp 

 struggle in which one or two of the pack 

 were badly scratched. 



Cougars are occasionally killed by poison- 

 ing, and they may be trapped much more 

 easily than a wolf. I have never known 

 them to be systematically hunted in the 

 West, though now and then one is acci- 

 dentally run across and killed with the rifle 

 while the hunter is after some other game. 



As already said, ranchmen do not have 

 much idle time on their hands, for their 

 duties are manifold, and they need to be ever 

 on the watch against their foes, both ani- 

 mate and inanimate. Where a man has so 

 much to do he cannot spare a great deal 

 of his time for any amusement; but a good 

 part of that which the ranchman can spare 

 he is very apt to spend in hunting. His 

 quarry will be one of the seven kinds of 

 plains game bear, buffalo, elk, bighorn, an- 



