3' 



WILD I'LOWICKS Ol- COLORADO. 



one can almost sec the trees ui)on tlicni, will he miles and miles 

 away. 



Guides have much amusement in askinn- tourists how far 

 distant is such and such a mountain, and then astonishing- the 

 person hy sayino—any numher of miles less than a thousand. 



After interviewinn- the hoy with the cows we retraced our 

 steps, and just hefore reachinir the hridoe we saw (juite a crowd 

 around a large farm wagon in the middle of the street. The 

 farmer, with one hand holding the reins, w:as standing, and 

 seemed to he relating some wonderful incident to the crowd. As 

 we wished to see and hear what seemed to he an unusual occur- 

 rence, wc went up to the wagon. It was a sight rarely seen, even 

 in this section. There, stretched at full length, lay a mountain 

 hon— dead. He was a grand looking fellow. His length, from 

 tip of nose to the end of tail, was just the length of the wagon. 

 We inquired of the farmer how he had killed him, as there 

 seemed to he no indications of firearms used. ''How did I 

 kill him ? With this very cluh," and he held u\) a stout stick ahout 

 three feet long. " I was walking on the side of the mountain 

 near my ranch when I met the heast. I had not heard a sound, 

 hut as I looked up I saw him standing plumj) hefore me. He 

 did not look ugly, hut astonished, and I helicve I was as much 

 of a curiosity to him as he was to me. I didn't take lon^- to 

 thmk ahout it, though, and raising my cluh with all the strength 

 I had, I hit him square on the top of his head. It stunned him, 

 and hefore he liad time to come to, I finished him with this," and 



