Men And Horses by Ross Santee

Author:Ross Santee [Santee, Ross]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Western
Publisher: The Century Co
Published: 1921-07-05T07:00:00+00:00

Oscar Cline, a puncher I know from Tonto Basin, once roped and tied a lion.

"We was fixin' fence/ 3 said Oscar, "when we found a lion kill. The kill was only a few hours old, so I went back to the ranch an' got the dogs. An' it was n't no time at all until we jumped three lion kittens. The dogs killed one but we took the other two alive. We was just a-thinkin' we'd lost the old one when she run out across a little flat.

"We had trouble in gettin' our horses close to her, but as I went by I managed to make a lucky throw and caught her round the neck. She choked right down, so I got off my horse and tied her with my piggin string.

"We figured we 'd take her in alive, so we left the old man to watch her while me an' my brother went back to the ranch to rig up some outfit. We never got to take her in alive, though, for we was n't any more than out of sight when she come alive an' started chewin' on the piggin string. This was too much for the old man. He did n't think much of the idea anyhow, so he knocked her in the head."

Bull Moore and another Double Circle puncher

[157]

MEN AND HORSES

once ran a lion into a cave. The cave was in a ledge of rock about six feet off the ground. The punchers finally decided to smoke the lion out, so Bull crawled back into the entrance and built a fire.

"The cave was pretty narrow/ 3 said the puncher, "and Bull had to crawl in on his belly. I was watchin' the entrance when I heard a riot inside.

"I thought for a minute Bull had gone crazy and had tried to ride the lion out, for they shot out of the cave together with Bull holdin' the lion round the belly with both arms.

"Bull lost his holt when they hit the ground together. But aside from bein' knocked out by the fall Bull was n't hurt. After Bull come to he said he did n't remember nothin 5 about takin' holt of no lion. But Bull said he was so scared when she run over him he guessed that's what he 'd done."

The experience had evidently not cooled Bull's sporting blood, for Cleve Miller and I met him once when we were in a bear-hunt. Cleve and I had stopped to rest the dogs and let our horses blow, when Bull drove up in a flivver. Bull had evidently had several drinks, for he apologized for his empty bottle.

"Too bad I ain't got any more," said Bull.

"With one more drink I M like to get a-holt of some bear's tail an' whoop him right on down the road."

I have never forgotten my own misgivings when I went on my first lion-hunt. Aside from the stories Grandma had told me when I was a small boy, I knew nothing of the nature of a lion.

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