368 RECREATION 



his fofepaws, embedded his terrible mighty effort the great cat not only 



teeth in the throat of the elk. The elk broke the neck, but literally cut it 



gave a stifled cry of pain and rage as half in two. The large, white sinew 



he attempted to trample the enemy of the neck was severed by the lion's 



down. They were now coming uncom- teeth and pulled loose from the head, 



fortably close. The elk had swayed in The elk then rolled over on its side, and 



his course and staggered from the path, the lion began to lap the blood as it 



With one mighty effort he tried to dis- spurted from the great gap at the top 



lodge the lion by swinging his head up of the throat. The great cat's tail was now 



and down and striking with his fore towards me, and the chances for a good 



feet, but his fate was sealed. As well shot were questionable. I held my gun 



might a rabbit expect to escape the dead on the gentleman, waiting for any 



eagle when once in its talons, as this kind of a show either at his head or a 



monster elk to defeat his terrible foe. perspective of enough of his side to 



The great beast staggered laterally and cut two or three ribs and get at his 



fell, his shoulders bearing down the heart and lungs, but he seemed to be 



lion's haunches and hind legs, causing in no great hurry to give me the oppor- 



it to relax his death grip to pull itself tunity. Finally he turned his head and 



from under the elk, which made a rally- looked up the trail. I shifted my rifle 



ing effort and regained his feet. Once to catch a bead below and behind the 



more the lion succeeded in fastening ear, but my long wait with gun pre- 



his teeth in the flesh of the elk, this sented and the excitement had made 



time on the top of the neck, and the elk me so shaky that my Lyman bead was 



made a last feeble lurch forward and dancing all over the brute's neck. I 



fell within ten feet of me, a badly ex- thought I would ease the gun down on 



cited and frightened individual. the rock and so steady it, but while in 



After the first encounter I had let the the act of crouching, the lion turned 



breech of my rifle drop, while I held his fore shoulders up the trail and be- 



the muzzle with the other hand, point- gan to belly down to the ground and to 



ing my own direction and standing at switch his long tail back and forth, 

 full cock, but I gave this little thought I had now got my gun on the rock 



at the time, for I had been getting an and put one knee on the ground when 



exhibition of grand tragedy. Mr. Lion jumped up to his full height, 



However, the combatants had come humped his back something like a 



too close for me to thoroughly enjoy the Tom cat, stretched wide open his mouth 



battle ; at the enci of the last struggle and hissed like an adder. I found his 



I brought up my rifle, and ran my head with a steadied barrel and pressed 



eye along the barrel until the lion the trigger. There was a flash and a 



was in range, but did not puU the trig- keen but not very loud report. The 



ger, for my excitement had subsided lion squatted to his former crouching 



and I decided to withhold my fire and position. I threw in another cartridge 



see the coup de grace, and the final and stood ready, but in a few minutes 



scene will remain a vivid picture in my the old fellow made a spasmodic move, 



memory should I live to be as old as quivered under his foreleg and in his 



Methuselah ! flank and then gave a convulsive for- 



The elk seemed to fall forward more ward motion which doubled his head 



from pain than from weight of the back under his breast and then he 



foe; whereupon the lion doubled itself rolled over on his side and was as dead 



up, resting both fore and hind feet on as the elk he had so quickly killed, while 



the elk's neck on either side of the lion's I gazed down before me at the two 



mouth, then the hind feet were pressed monarchs of the forest, so different in 



against the neck, embedding the claws form and character and yet so alike in 



deep into the elk's flesh, and, with a native majesty, now limp and lifeless. 



