114 THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 
it takes to write it, made a leap to lower branches, past the man and 
down the tree it came. When I shouted “go back,” it heeded not and 
struck the ground running. Dogs were at once untied and “bow wow’”’ 
is again sounded in the forest. It is now getting dark, the dogs are 
hot-footing it, bellowing like mad, while I take an occasional double- 
header over logs and brush in attempting to follow them. When I 
again hear the “tree bark” in the canyon three or four hundred yards 
away. I finally reach a steep bluff where the dogs are and take it for 
granted the cougar has climbed the fir tree, which is four or five 
feet in diameter, where the dogs are barking. Mr. Me. has 
reached the tree also by this time, after gathering up our cougar 
tying outfit at the former tree. We hold a brief consultation and 
decide the only thing to do is to await the rising of the moon and 
go to camp and bring food and cross-cut saw, we having decided the 
tree was unclimbable, and we must saw this tree down and chase him 
to another tree more favorable to operate. A fire is built at the roots 
of the tree, the moon soon shows itself dimly in the forest. Mr. Me. 
hits out for camp, about five or six miles away, while I remain supper- 
less at the tree with the dogs. Thinking the animal might again 
attempt to make a sudden departure, I deemed it wise to induce the 
dogs to have a nap by the fire so as to be fresh for the chase again, as 
they had become almost exhausted during the long chase during the 
day. They snooze on while I remain a sentry at the tree. Dawn ap- 
proaches after watching and waiting which appeared an age. I scan 
the branches of the tree when it is sufficiently light to see. What? 
Do my eyes deceive me? No! not a bit of it; for no cougar could be 
seen in the tree. I called to the dogs; they awoke with a start and 
ran down a steep embankment to a cedar tree, made a short circle and 
hit the track and away they again went. The cougar had been up the 
cedar tree until I got the dogs quiet, when it stealthily made its get- 
away while I, fool like, was looking up the wrong tree. I was soon 
joined by Burdon and McTimmons with cross-cut saw and provisions. 
It was decided that the cougar had several hours’ start of the dogs 
and would be hard to catch, so we decided to send the saw and all 
surplus stuff to camp while two of us followed the dogs with a day 
and night’s rations on our backs. The animal is again treed about 5 
o’clock in the afternoon, after making a detour of several miles. On 
our approach the cougar leaves the tree in spite of our efforts to 
keep it there by pelting it with stones as it comes down. They are 
off again, dogs and cougar, while we are attempting to keep within 
hearing distance; fortune favors us, for we hear the dogs driving it . 
down the mountain toward the trail along the creek and again tree it. 
We reach the tree and seemingly the large cat is contented to remain 
upon this perch, which it does during the night, while we keep fires 
burning near the tree, keeping ever on the alert until the break of day, 
when my side partner again leaves me and the dogs, this time with 
a full stomach, while he enlists the services of the third party in 
camp. In the meantime the ’phone was carrying the news that three 
men were going to attempt to rope and hogtie a live cougar that 
dogs had in a tree up Greyback Creek, about four miles from the 
Grand Prize Mine. So when my two companions joined me they were 
re-enforced with five or six men and four ladies, who wanted to see 
the fun, and did, as the animal was within the next hour swinging on 
a pole while four men were carrying it to the wagon road, where a 
team awaited us to return us from whence we came. 
