54 AN AMERICAN HUNTER 



three hours before we were able to place them and walk 

 up to them. It was hard work, toiling through the snow 

 over the cliffs toward the baying; and on each occasion 

 the cougar leaped from the tree at our approach, and ran 

 a quarter of a mile or so before going up another, where 

 it was shot. As I came up to shoot, most of the dogs paid 

 no attention, but Boxer and Nellie always kept looking 

 at me until I actually raised the rifle, when they began 

 to spring about the spot where they thought the cougar 

 would come down. The cougar itself always seemed 

 to recognize the man as the dangerous opponent; and as 

 I strode around to find a place from whence I could 

 deliver an instantaneously fatal shot, it would follow me 

 steadily with its evil yellow eyes. I came up very close, 

 but the beasts never attempted to jump at me. Judging 

 from what one reads in books about Indian and Afri- 

 can game, a leopard under such circumstances would cer- 

 tainly sometimes charge. 



Three days of our trip were spent on a ride to Colo- 

 row Mountain; we went down to Judge Foreman's ranch 

 on White River to pass the night. We got another cou- 

 gar on the way. She must really be credited to Jim. The 

 other dogs were following in our footsteps through the 

 snow, after having made various futile excursions of their 

 own. When we found that Jim was missing, we tried in 

 vain to recall him with the horn, and at last started to 

 hunt him up. After an hour's ride we heard him off on 

 the mountain, evidently following a trail, but equally 

 evidently not yet having jumped the animal. The hounds 

 heard him quite as quickly as we did, and started toward 



