THE COWARDLY COUGAR 



heavily overgrown and comparatively level 

 that is, it did not slant at an angle of more 

 than forty-five degrees. Here the quarry 

 bayed for a third time, and when we heard the 

 new note in that chorus of canine frenzy, 

 Ambrose gaily cried : 



"Going down! All aboard!" 



But this was a different proposition to the 

 other two descents. No one but lion hunters 

 tackle the white limestone, and when our 

 camera man craned his neck over the edge of 

 the abyss he behaved exactly like that horse 

 at the crossing of the Colorado he laid back 

 his ears and balked. It seemed an impossible 

 task to take a camera in and out of such a 

 place, so we sent him and Vaughan back up the 

 long climb to the plateau, while Ambrose, 

 Fred, and I nerved ourselves to go down and 

 administer the coup de grdce an undertaking 

 which called for prayer and meditation. 



When we had reached the red sandstone, 

 Ambrose cautioned us to go quietly, for, said he : 



"These she cats won't stand. If she makes 

 another break we'll have to follow her over 

 the red, and we'll be old men before we can 

 climb out." 



We did our best to follow instructions, but 

 191 



