188 TRUE BEAR STORIES.

mountain lions and panthers managed to
keep things from becoming dull. They
came into camp several times and made
the canyon ring with their yowling, but they
always kept brush between themselves and
the fire-light, and it was impossible to get
a shot at them. Their raids became so an-
noying that two hounds were procured and
brought into camp; after that the night-
prowling beasts kept at a respectful dis-
tance. Being unable to steal any more
provisions from the Examiner outfit, the
lions turned their attention to the sheep
camps. One night a lion sneaked up
through a willow thicket to the nearest
sheep camp and killed three sheep. He was
a dainty lion, evidently, as he only cut the
throats of the sheep and drank their blood
and did not eat any mutton. The same lion
followed the scent of a carcass that had
been dragged to the bear trap for bait, but
he stopped twenty yards from the trap, and
went away, not caring to risk his neck
by going into any such contrivance.