THE COWARDLY COUGAR 



I left those trousers on the plateau when I 

 came home, for they were of no further prac- 

 tical value and I had a pair of chaps. 



It is easier to muzzle than to rope a cougar. 

 You merely cut a short, stout stick and pre- 

 sent it gingerly. The cougar seizes it and 

 one or more of your fingers then you bind 

 the stick in place with a few deft turns of 

 rope and bind your fingers back where they 

 belong with whatever is handy. 



Ambrose wore a grin to match that of the 

 gagged cougar. 



1 ' This is the life ! " he said, joyously. ' ' Now 

 all we got to do is pack her out." 



That was all. By lying flat on our backs 

 we could manage to look up to the rim, but it 

 was then three o'clock in the afternoon and 

 we had not eaten for twelve hours. Camp 

 was perhaps eight miles distant. Some one 

 suggested leaving the lioness chained to this 

 tree for the night, but Ambrose would not 

 hear of it. 



"If we get her out now, she'll be fresh as a 

 daisy to-morrow. We can get her out all 

 right if we handle her easy and don't bust her 

 corners." 



Accordingly, we cut a pole and threaded the 

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