50 
WILD AMERICANS 
had shown rare nerve and bravery, to lasso and tie a 
grown wild mountain lion single-handed. 
The horses didn't like the thought of carrying a 
lion home, but Charlie had them well trained. One 
end of the pole he tied to his saddle. The other end 
dragged on the ground several feet behind. The lion 
hung in the middle, back down, well above the 
ground and securely tied so it would not be injured 
and could do no harm. This method of packing was 
a trick Charlie had learned from the Indians, he said. 
That was the procession Mother and Ginger saw 
when the tired, happy party rode into camp late that 
day—a live lion on a pole, and the men all grinning 
proudly. 
When all the horses were in their corral and fed 
for the night, the lion safely in a cage for shipment, 
the dogs given food, and the people had settled down 
to their own hearty dinner, Ginger Blair spoke. “Oh, 
Mother," she said sorrowfully, “I wish I were a boy!" 
