swam at a point impassable for man or
horse. One of the dogs, a giant bloodhound named Jack, swam the swift
channel, kept on after the lion, but never returned. All cougars have
their peculiar traits and habits, the same as other creatures, and all
old Toms have strongly marked characteristics, but this one was the
most destructive cougar Jones ever knew.

During Jones's short sojourn as warden in the park, he captured
numerous cougars alive, and killed seventy-two.

CHAPTER 16.

KITTY

It seemed my eyelids had scarcely touched when Jones's exasperating,
yet stimulating, yell aroused me. Day was breaking. The moon and stars
shone with wan luster. A white, snowy frost silvered the forest. Old
Moze had curled close beside me, and now he gazed at me reproachfully
and shivered. Lawson came hustling in with the horses. Jim busied
himself around the campfire. My fingers nearly froze while I saddled my
horse.

At five o'clock we were trotting up the slope of Buckskin, bound for
the section of ruined rim wall where we had encountered the convention
of cougars. Hoping to save time, we took a short cut, and were soon
crossing deep ravines.

The sunrise coloring the purple curtain of cloud over the canyon was
too much for me, and I lagged on a high ridge to watch it, thus falling
behind my more practical companions. A far-off "Waa-hoo!" brought me to
a realization of the day's stern duty and I hurried Satan forward on
the trail.

I came suddenly upon our leader, leading his horse through the scrub
pinyon on the edge of the canyon, and I knew at once something had
happened, for he was closely scrutinizing the ground.

"I declare this beats me all hollow!" began Jones. "We might be hunting
rabbits instead of the wildest animals on the continent. We jumped a
bunch of lions in this clump of pinyon. There must have been at least
four. I thought first we'd run upon an old lioness with cubs, but all
the trails were made by full-grown lions. Moze took one north along the
rim, same as the other day, but the lion got away quick. Frank saw one
lion. Wallace is following Sounder down into the first hollow. Jim has
gone over the rim wall after Don. There you are! Four lions playing tag
in broad daylight on top of this wall! I'm inclined to believe Clarke
didn't exaggerate. But confound the luck! the hounds have split again.
They're doing their best, of course, and it's up to us to stay with
them. I'm afraid we'll lose some of t