WITH THE COUGAR HOUNDS 25 



by a bullet. Usually the cougar does not even charge 

 at the dogs beyond a few feet, confining itself to seizing 

 or striking any member of the pack which comes close 

 up; although it will occasionally, when much irritated, 

 make a rapid dash and seize some bold assailant. While 

 I was on my hunt, one of Goffs brothers lost a hound in 

 hunting a cougar; there were but two hounds, and the 

 cougar would not tree for them, finally seizing and kill- 

 ing one that came too near. At the same time a ranchman 

 not far off set his cattle dog on a cougar, which after a 

 short run turned and killed the dog. But time and again 

 cougars are brought to bay or treed by dogs powerless 

 to do them the slightest damage; and they usually meet 

 their death tamely when the hunter comes up. I have 

 had no personal experience either with the South Ameri- 

 can jaguar or the Old-World leopard or panther; but 

 these great spotted cats must be far more dangerous ad- 

 versaries than the cougar. 



It is true, as I have said, that a cougar will follow 

 a man; but then a weasel will sometimes do the same 

 thing. Whatever the cougar's motive, it is certain that 

 in the immense majority of cases there is not the slightest 

 danger of his attacking the man he follows. Dr. Hart 

 Merriam informs me, however, that he is satisfied that 

 he came across one genuine instance of a cougar killing 

 a man whose tracks he had dogged. It cannot be too 

 often repeated, that we must never lose sight of the indi- 

 vidual variation in character and conduct among wild 

 beasts. A thousand times a cougar might follow a man 

 either not intending or not daring to attack him, while 



