WITH THE COUGAR HOUNDS 39 



killed, according to the invariable custom of its kind, it 

 had dragged the deer from the open, where it had over- 

 taken it, to the shelter of a group of trees. 



We finally struck the fresh trail; but it, also, led 

 hither and thither, and we got into such a maze of tracks 

 that the dogs were completely puzzled. After a couple 

 of hours of vain travelling to and fro, we gave up the 

 effort, called the dogs off, and started back beside a large 

 washout which led along between two ridges. Goff, as 

 usual, was leading, the dogs following and continually 

 skirting to one side or the other. Suddenly they all began 

 to show great excitement, and then one gave furious 

 tongue at the mouth of a hole in some sunken and broken 

 ground not thirty yards to our right. The whole pack 

 rushed toward the challenge, the fighters leaped into the 

 hole, and in another moment the row inside told us that 

 they had found a cougar at home. We jumped off and 

 ran down to see if we could be of assistance. To get into 

 the hole was impossible, for two or three hounds had 

 jumped down to join the fighters, and we could see noth- 

 ing but their sterns. Then we saw Turk backing out with 

 a dead kitten in his mouth. I had supposed that a cougar 

 would defend her young to the last, but such was not the 

 case in this instance. For some minutes she kept the dogs 

 at bay, but then gradually gave ground, leaving her three 

 kittens. Of course, the dogs killed them instantly, much 

 to our regret, as we would have given a good deal to 

 have kept them alive. As soon as she had abandoned 

 them, away she went completely through the low cave 

 or hole, leaped out of the other end, which was some 



