410 BIG GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



home his cows that pastured in a swamp near at hand. 

 This swamp was bordered by a belt of willows. When 

 he reached the willows, he learned, by the ringing of the 

 bells, that the cows were coming home. Seating liimself on 

 a log, he awaited their coming. One by one they came 

 through the willow-bordered path, until the last one, a 

 yearling steer, stopped a few feet away from him and began 

 to graze; and just at this time he became aware of a 

 stealthy gray form that was intently creeping behind the 

 steer. It took but a glance to ascertain that the lithe 

 form was that of a large Cougar. John felt rather uncom- 

 fortable, but sat quietly, and watched the actions of the 

 Cougar, 



The latter, crouching, almost crawling along the ground, 

 slowly neared its intended victim. Every motion of the 

 calf was carefully noted, and whenever it raised its head 

 the Cougar woidd crouch motionless on the grass; but 

 when the calf dropped its head, the snake-like, insidious 

 motion in the long, lithe body of the great cat was resumed 

 until it was at the very heels of the calf. Then, rearing 

 slowly up, it reached its fore j)aws gently over the shoulders 

 of the calf. The Cougar was a sight to behold. With blaz- 

 ing eyes, and with lips curled upward exposing its white 

 fangs, it waited for the calf to raise its head. Then the 

 long, graceful body would have surged, and with the clos- 

 ing of the fangs on the calf's neck, death would have been 

 instantaneous. But, before it could carry out its inten- 

 tions, John gave a loud yell, which so terrified the Cougar 

 that he fell backward, scrambled to his feet, and, with 

 one leap, vanished in the willows. 



The Cougar will not eat carrion; neither will he refuse 

 an animal lately killed. One day, when shooting rabbits, I 

 tied together a number that I had killed, and hung them 

 on a branch of an alder which overhung the path. Return- 

 ing along the same path shortly after, I met a Cougar 

 trotting leisurely along with my rabbits in his mouth. 

 Having a shell loaded with buckshot, he paid for his dis- 

 honesty with his life. 



