Lion On The Locomotive

Last winter when the snowstorms wereso fearfulthroiighout tbo mountains in Utah and the earth was covered with snow to the depth of five to ten feet. and remained hidden so longthe animáis wei-e forced to desperation. The wolves were starved and weak, and what is known as the mountain lion almost perishod frora starvation, says the Chicago Record, lts great strength failed it, and a man with a knife could soon take the life of an animal that a short time beforo could hold a powerful ox or horse and make a moal of his flesh. The hungry animáis after a while diseovered that food was to be had along the railroad track, where j sengers thruw bones and scraps of victuals from passing trains. Often two Starving coyotos would engage in deadly combat over a chicken bone that had a short time before been ridden of its last vestige of nourishment by some eeonomical person who did not care to pay 75 cents for a meal. This was the condition of things. Engineer Gast had charge of engine No. 151, which was known as "the helper," from tho f act that it helped trains up. the mountain and when at the summit cut off and dropped back down to the bottom ready to help another. One night when business on the road was slacic Gast noticed something wrong with the gearing under the tender, and remarked to the fireman that they would get off and repair it. When half way down the niountain side he brought the engine to a standstill and the two men went to work on what proved to be a twenty minutes1 job packing a hot box on the tender. -The tallow pot was left at the boiler's head. After completing the repairs the men were mounting the engine again only to see a huge mountain lion devouring the tallow and holding full possession of the engine cab. It was a oold night and the snow drifting. The men had already remained outside until they were very cold and the chances of dispossessing Mr. Lion were very meager, as he snapped his teeth and flashed his eyes and fast stored the tallow out of sight. ïho only consolation the men had was that the tallow would not last long at that rate, and even this thought was not entirely satisfying, as they had no way of determining that one of them would not go the same way at the end of the tallow feast. Finally, after fifteen minutes further delay the tallow pot was empty, and giving a growl, as much as to say, "I am very thankful gentlemen, and you ought to be," the animal leaped from the cab and disappeared in the hills.