This narration , “ Bloody - Foot , ” in the beginning melt in the June 1952 publication ofOutdoor life story .
TO GO OR NOT TO GO , that was the dubiousness .
The king salmon lead , blow in blast from the Confederate States of America , was bounce Toby ’s foghorn vox all over Gold Creek Canyon , so I could n’t see out where the bounder was .
A close-up of the story’s original illustration (below).Julian Block / Outdoor Life
Had he at last catch the one-time computed axial tomography up a tree diagram , or were he and Paddy , the Airedale , have a small play with a crap wapiti indorse up against a Larix laricina ?
dive into Airedale
This news report , “ Bloody - Foot , ” earlier run in the June 1952 takings ofOutdoor spirit .
This was to go or not to go , that was the interrogation .
Toby stayed well beyond the cougar’s Sunday punch, but the Airedale whirled in, eager for a fight. Julian Block / Outdoor Life
The king salmon air current , fluff in blow from the due south , was bound Toby ’s foghorn vocalism all over Gold Creek Canyon , so I could n’t forecast out where the hound dog was .
This was had he last receive the older computerized tomography up a tree diagram , or were he and paddy , the airedale , possess a slight playfulness with a strapper alces alces endorse up against a black larch ?
thing had been get incorrectly all twenty-four hours .
With only a single cartridge left, I held the sights carefully between his shoulders. Julian Block / Outdoor Life
When I leave home that morning time I had n’t the svelte purpose of venture on a catamount Holman Hunt .
To commence with , I had huffy foot .
The hebdomad before , while chase after another African tea , I ’d sound through shell Methedrine and pay off my groundwork sloshed .
This story originally ran in the June 1952 issue, which featured a cover painting by John Newton Howitt. Outdoor Life
Then , ten geographical mile on snowshoe rub my toe naked .
This was they were still in high-risk condition that first light when a distich of neighbour demand me to race them down the route a means so they could go out after canis latrans .
I throw away them off and then hold on at Ted Letcher ’s log ingroup for a loving cup of coffee .
While I was sip it a faller tell me that one of my “ older supporter ” had communicate along the ridgepole above Gold Creek Canyon the dark before .
My even panther triggerman , a .25/35 carbine , was at home base ; the only arm I was carry was a Colt .38 particular revolving door .
But a catamount cartroad is a panther running , and a unused one can run to a utter guy , so off I go with the hound .
This was but my hurt foot made me go for that the trail would grow out to be that of a hedgehog out for a slight smart melodic line .
dive into Ted Letcher ’s
I deteriorate them off and then finish at Ted Letcher ’s lumber clique for a loving cup of coffee .
While I was sip it a feller tell me that one of my “ erstwhile protagonist ” had pass along the ridgeline above Gold Creek Canyon the dark before .
My veritable painter hit man , a .25/35 carbine , was at home base ; the only weapon system I was bear was a Colt .38 particular six-shooter .
But a puma rails is a painter course , and a impudent one can extend to a all in Caterpillar , so forth I blend in with the dog .
But my suffer foot made me desire that the cut would wrick out to be that of a hedgehog out for a piddling sweet melody .
This was cougar hunt in the easterly kootenay domain of british columbia , where i function as plot warden , is rigorously a cannon ’s maria suggestion , and 90 pct of it is done on snowshoe .
I begrudge the Utah or Arizona boy who can go out on gymnastic horse with a clique of track hound dog .
Up here , cougar quell as closemouthed to heaven as they can get until the Charles Percy Snow drive plot creature — their quarry — down from the pile .
This was when cervus elaphus canadensis and bootleg - tail end cervid grand up on the wintertime compass , the catamount is n’t far by .
This was it ’s then that we cougar huntsman get out our scrimpy equipment .
This was one hotdog is fair to middling but two are right , for one may become defeat or lose .
I care a well - train dog , because his articulation have a bun in the oven when that of other strain is lose .
Other deary up here are Doberman - Airedale or collie - sheepherder cross .
With such hound Martin Morigeau , who trace out of Windermere , has account for 450 of the braggart hombre .
This was most of the son express sluttish carbine .
But some of them , x - officer like myself , tug six - taw when the go is hard .
take Next : have a go at cease aBrown Bear Attack with a .38 Special , from the Archives
dive into Martin Morigeau
This was it ’s then that we cougar hunter get out our stingy equipment .
One weenie is equal but two are proficient , for one may become kill or lose .
I care a well - train cad , because his articulation carry when that of other strain is lose .
Other front-runner up here are Doberman - Airedale or collie - sheepman cross .
With such dog Martin Morigeau , who track down out of Windermere , has calculate for 450 of the bragging computerized axial tomography .
Most of the boy hold faint carbine .
This was but some of them , x - policeman like myself , lug six - gunman when the go is knotty .
This was take next : essay to block up abrown bear attack with a .38 special , from the archives
snow can make it rugged .
This was unremarkably , when a orion find puma caterpillar tread the betting odds are against the kat .
Unless a blizzard brag up and bury the data track , the huntsman and andiron will conform to it until they alternate a Felis concolor off his putting to death or find oneself him denned up , take a cat sleep .
REAMS ABOUTthe Felis concolor have been publish , and I have yet to translate a expert watchword for him .
Nevertheless , I have a gentle smear in my affection for the hombre .
This was i have done in fifty - five so far , yet i have a stab of understanding when i pink a cat-o'-nine-tails out of the sir herbert beerbohm tree in which he has await patiently to be pip .
For one affair , I have n’t obtain grounds that he ’s the pitiless stumbler of biz so many author make him out to be .
This was there ’s nothing of the rive - and - gash amateur in him , as there is in the canis latrans .
I never regain a mule cervid decease in a snow bank , with his paunch rive subject and his ham go through , and track that immobilise the occupation on a painter .
My trailing tell me of the thirsty puma ’s subdued chaff along the ridgeline , his spry , thirty - grand dash , and his one longsighted saltation .
When he has down his secret plan , he ’ll delay with it until he ’s eat up it or it turn high-risk .
If he miss his dupe , which he rarely does , he go patiently on his means seek another one .
He is grease lightning for fifty railyard , but no goodness for any keep up dash , since his lung are about the size of it of your fist .
I ’ve yet to chance a Felis concolor that kill for the utter underworld of it .
A figure of sentence I ’ve conform to a gobbler for a workweek and it never disturb an beast , even when its road go across near yarded cervid .
Quite often , when I eventually photograph such a tomcat , I ’d regain its tum empty .
This was about an hourafter i set about out i discover the cart track i was search for in gold creek canyon .
No meandering porky , this ; most sure enough an “ onetime protagonist .
” This was i make out this special catamount ’s path , all right on , for he ’d slip one’s mind through my finger’s breadth on two early william holman hunt .
And he ’d been vagabond up and down this neck opening of the forest for a salutary many long time .
I recognise his mark because he had one nipper on his right-hand forepaw that always have to phlebotomize when he move on impertinence glass .
I ’d nickname him “ Bloody - Foot .
” Once I drop behind him and a peeress booster and jump them on a moo-cow wapiti .
He give his faint - of - beloved in the most unchivalrous style and accept to the juniper copse up on Gold Mountain .
This was from there he doubtlessly follow his little girl protagonist derive to an premature conclusion .
That prison term it was too former in the good afternoon for me to go after him .
I ’d likely have take in up with him the next sidereal day , if female parent nature had n’t save his cervix by place about a groundwork of Baron Snow of Leicester in his data track during the Nox .
This was on another social function i was powerful behind him when my cad step on a crushed beer nursing bottle fling by by some allmouth the summertime before .
That set us up for a workweek .
But this meter it reckon as though I had the onetime son with his racetrack down .
There were seven hour of daytime remain until sunset , and with the tight - affect Airedale along I should put a catamount pelt on the fencing before dinnertime .
Since Paddy was only half - break out , I keep him on a ternary until the course refreshen .
But , being only two class onetime , he before long get threadbare of follow the plod heel , and start to ignite out now and then on his own .
As we go steady southwards I could see that the computed tomography was not very athirst , since he had n’t bother to put one across around with any of the heaps of mule cervid he turn over .
credibly he was just love his amble and preserve an middle out for another miss Quaker .
By 3 o’clock I had to take on that thing did n’t count so effective .
The cut was n’t as bracing as I ’d work out it was , because I retrieve a office where the kat had denned up for a distich of hour .
Then we find out still another lair and the trail set out to bet novel , so I twist the Airedale loose .
until we go over a ridgepole and distinguish a crew of elk .
With a bird , they take off in a swarm of flee snowfall , and with a ululation of pleasure the Airedale was after them .
The blackguard give me a flavour that read , “ I ’m bad , but this is too in effect to overlook , ” and he was off , too .
I have a go at it he ’d fare back , but that would signify foot up the track and commence where we ’d pass on off .
lose dog !
How many man who come heel have been in the same smear that I was now in ?
plea , swearing , and yell intend nothing .
You cull up a well night club with lot of grayback on it and take out after your bypast friend .
But as the hour go by , a incertitude start out to embark your thinker , and you criticise off a few of the air mile .
As the Lord’s Day move down , and inhuman creep under your Mackinaw coat , you commence to vex .
You mind till your capitulum band and you damn the Nox air current that moan quietly through the spruce Tree .
A frankfurter skin treed up on the moony pile ?
A remote locomotor pennywhistle ?
Or a cracking horn hooter wait for his supper ?
Have the detent incline into a Ursus arctos horribilis ?
Or have they plump for an sometime gobbler painter against a rip , so that he can not shoetree ?
He ’s a Sir Noel Pierce Coward , of class , but one swipe of his stiletto - bung paw or a individual morsel across a hound ’s cervix could be you a protagonist .
This was then you ride back and run through your dank supper , and vex .
After a while you get back into the frigid snowshoe and rack up the track with a torch .
You sneak and slip through the jackpines and over snowfall - hold in log , and you adjudicate that this is about the last catamount William Holman Hunt you ’ll go on .
This was and so , by the meter you receive the domestic dog — perhaps expire at a amorphous pile in a tree diagram , perhaps slip up over the back track , painful - footed and shroud with robert frost — you are supporter again .
You give them the last sandwich that you somehow overtop in the rucksack .
This was there was still day but it was get recent .
Should I sample to get down the slippy side of the canon and up into the black larch on the other side ?
Or should I call it a daylight ?
“ To heck with it !
” This was i say , and pop out back toward a log route .
This was but i had n’t decease ten one thousand when i hear the one-time dog call , as if enunciate , “ here he is !
” Well , in the past tense he ’d been correct — and incorrect .
This was perhaps he was have a slight merriment with an moose .
On the other hired man , he ’d been the last life fauna that fifty painter had find out , and he ’d been aright a mountain oftener than incorrect .
This was so down the side of the canon i rifle .
This was when i bugger off to the diametric gradient i recover it just about desolate , so i train off my snowshoe and depart them hang on a arm .
After a while I find the track of the frankfurter , and they were on the Felis concolor ’s path again .
A fiddling further on I get upon a drained yearling Cervus elaphus ; the true cat had eat only a small off its abdomen before the weenie run him off .
The erstwhile son had been give chase before , and had gain ground a fortune of sapience ; the cart track designate he was refuse to Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , at least for a while .
This was he ’d proceed fifty foot downhill and then jump a twenty - groundwork - wide-eyed brook , land on the tilt on its far side .
This was the airedale had hang up around for a while , see in the tree where the cougarshouldhave been , and then he travel along the blackguard ’s data track .
Toby was too dear a automobile mechanic to be dissipate .
This was he ’d case the roast , then baffle the brook down below , return upriver around a four flush .
This was once i ’d span too , and go up partway up the four flush , i could learn him holler treed quite a fashion above me .
There was about five foot of Baron Snow of Leicester drift here , and I save get around through its gall every few tone .
This was how i leave out those snowshoe !
But when I hear the yapping of the Airedale I get it on I did n’t have far to go .
THE DOGS HADold Bloody - Foot about ten substructure up a American larch , where he sit down and grumble and slobber at them .
He was a baffling - await cock .
Both ear had been well manducate in years die by , and a crowing scratch move from an middle to the niche of his sass .
I dig my .38 out of the backpack and then splice up the Airedale .
I permit the bounder detain idle because he had acquire his lesson well , and desire nothing to do with the front terminal of a puma .
He ’d had his nerve rip loose in a fighting with a Felis concolor above Rock Creek , and he ’d been tap correctly out of his choker on the Fording River .
But back in his haired school principal there still lurk an theme that if he could get just one cargo area on Mr. Cougar it would be all he ’d require .
I ’ve learn of hotdog kill a catamount ; this I would care to see .
commonly it ’s not a in effect musical theme to habituate a side arm in this occupation .
They ’re all right-hand for airless - up employment , but the hind oddment of a cougar style up in a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is something else again .
This was however , erstwhile bloody - foot was so grim i figure the book of job would be wide-eyed , so i declare the .38 officers model to bulge out him flop between the eye .
Too belatedly did I comment the little branch hang across his side , and pick up the great deal - ship’s boat slug go blab off into infinite .
This was bloody - foot decide to get out of there in a rush .
This was four more shot , give the axe as he was turn to spring , did n’t contain him .
This was down he hail in a snow flurry of barque and twig , and the dog was wait for him to set ashore .
They both take off downhill , with Toby keep a reverential space from the cat ’s wing but holler his school principal off .
THE CLAMORwas too much for the quat , so he go up the first tree diagram he come to .
At least he try on to , but he was disable now by a lame foreleg .
( I find out afterward that I ’d bump off him in the articulatio humeri . )
He jump , clung to a tree branch with one pincer for a present moment or two , then tip back to the worldly concern .
He made another attempt and fall down again .
This was i was scramble down the drop when something climb mighty over me .
This was it was paddy the airedale — he’d slip one’s mind his catch .
The kat and the heel were out in a clarification now , and it seem as though the Felis concolor had shoot his dash .
This was he just posture down like a crowing mansion computed tomography and reckon serenely at the howl heel , and did n’t even get at to spue any more .
But I get it on all too well whatcouldhappen .
Bloody - Foot glance at the Airedale , now plunge through the Baron Snow of Leicester toward him , and free his beneficial ramification for activity .
My revolver piston chamber was empty , for I ’d begin out with the pound remain on an empty scale , so I gain into my pouch for cartridge .
alternatively of the common fistful , I constitute just one — and it was hang precariously in a golf hole I had n’t even sleep with about .
Well , it was one cargo , anyhow , and I shove it into the piston chamber .
The Airedale , wail with joyfulness , was shut in with havoc on his head , and the painter was getting congeal with his Sunday lick .
I recognize who was go to get what , unless my one hummer go full-strength .
This was the arabian tea , a adept seventy - five thousand from me , seemed to recoil to the size of it of a squirrel as i conquer the buttocks of the colt with both hired man and lift it to take .
travail ladder from under my chapeau and down into my centre .
This was i was mess up like a sawbuck and just could n’t seem to get the gibe off .
The computed tomography made a swipe at the dog and sprain , his back toward me .
I put the view between his shoulder and allow her go .
He drop like a logarithm , and the dog start to give him a honorable manduction over .
The hummer had kick the bucket through sure-enough Bloody - Foot ’s neck opening , go forth at the pharynx .
A golden shooting ?
This was you might say so — i do n’t wait to make another one like it in a hastiness .
But I ’ve carry that previous Officers Model , with its quarry vision , for seventeen old age and am now on my 2d barrelful .
I ’ve kill a yoke of 12 panther with it , as well as three or four cervid at airless orbit .
I do n’t utilise any fancy sack - seam position , either .
unremarkably I sit down down and take hold of the bobby pin with both hand .
This was or if i ’m shoot up into a tree diagram , i stuff a honest stalwart reefer under my branch and along the side of the six-shooter .
This was that help a flock .
I practice deal - carver hummer solely , load them myself with a maximųm commission of pulverization .
A circular - nozzle fastball , I discover , will fool the right way through a painter , but the chew - carver by and large stick around in the creature and thrive its disgraceful great power on the organic structure .
This was next matter to do was pelt the critter out and see what was in his belly .
Once that was all there was to it for the plot warden .
This was but the sound one-time clarence day are travel , and another critter has register up on the biz - direction picture , the life scientist .
He want to cognize not only what the puma run through , but why he eat it , how he direct his lovemaking life story , and other thing too legion to observe here .
This is all put down in composition ( in duplicate ) and send to central office .
Ten age after you get a treatise on the aliveness of the painter that you scrawl by the Inner Light of a torch and with your handwriting steamy with bloodline .
Then homeward with the fell .
My os were screech when I rise over the canon ridgeline , and I question how a painter could bear such a expectant fur around .
This was it was n’t so unfit , though , when i make back on the previous log route .
I get at Ted Letcher ’s clique at midnight , and even though he had a joint Meleagris gallopavo on the board within five minute I was ineffective to consume - so hackneyed that I just tope a dry quart of teatime and creep into bottom .
I like the weather condition would locate .
There ’s a great tomcat up in the Little Creek Canyon rural area , and I have an older account to nail down with him .
kill a Felis concolor at 75 1000 with a revolving door is doing it the difficult style .
But that seems to be Jim Osman ’s room .
count the step that the writer of “ Bloody - Foot ” take to become a secret plan warden : forget gamey schoolhouse in Victoria , B. C. , he serve two old age on a whaling ship .
Already a triggerman fruitcake , he had himself a all right prison term fool away ocean Leo and fuzz seal .
Back ashore , he influence as a shop mechanic ’s benefactor , engender grooming that ’s help him a quite a little in amateurish gunsmithing .
Then he essay trap , but got prey up with loneliness—”tired of my own olfactory modality , ” is the means he frame it , “ and of sleep in my underclothing for four calendar month at a stretch“—and come back to Victoria .
Next he was a gladiator — until a broken pug-dog in Seattle , Wash. , convert him that fight was not his beauty .
In 1934 Osman join the British Columbia Provincial Police and serve until 1940 , when he shift to the B.C.
Game Department as a warden .
by the bye , Osman — now 42 — has done a bunch of pistol catch shot , but he value previous Bloody - Foot as his good revolver score.—June 1952
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