hunting the grisly and other sketches-第25章

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feint　of　attack；　and　lure　the　dam　into　a　rush　at　him；　while　the　other
stole　round　to　get　at　the　kid。　The　dam；　as　always　with　these　spirited
little　prong…bucks；　made　a　good　fight；　and　kept　the　assailants　at　bay；
yet　I　think　they　would　have　succeeded　in　the　end；　had　I　not
interfered。　Coyotes　are　bold　and　cunning　in　raiding　the　settler's
barn…yards　for　lambs　and　hens；　and　they　have　an　especial　liking　for
tame　cats。　If　there　are　coyotes　in　the　neighborhood　a　cat　which　gets
into　the　habit　of　wandering　from　home　is　surely　lost。

Though；　I　have　never　known　wolves　to　attack　a　man；　yet　in　the　wilder
portion　of　the　far　Northwest　I　have　heard　them　come　around　camp　very
close；　growling　so　savagely　as　to　make　one　almost　reluctant　to　leave
the　camp　fire　and　go　out　into　the　darkness　unarmed。　Once　I　was　camped
in　the　fall　near　a　lonely　little　lake　in　the　mountains；　by　the　edge　of
quite　a　broad　stream。　Soon　after　nightfall　three　or　four　wolves　came
around　camp　and　kept　me　awake　by　their　sinister　and　dismal　howling。
Two　or　three　times　they　came　so　close　to　the　fire　that　I　could　hear
them　snap　their　jaws　and　growl；　and　at　one　time　I　positively　thought
that　they　intended　to　try　to　get　into　camp；　so　excited　were　they　by
the　smell　of　the　fresh　meat。　After　a　while　they　stopped　howling；　and
then　all　was　silent　for　an　hour　or　so。　I　let　the　fire　go　out　and　was
turning　into　bed　when　I　suddenly　heard　some　animal　of　considerable
size　come　down　to　the　stream　nearly　opposite　me　and　begin　to　splash
across；　first　wading；　then　swimming。　It　was　pitch　dark　and　I　could　not
possibly　see；　but　I　felt　sure　it　was　a　wolf。　However　after　coming
half…way　over　it　changed　its　mind　and　swam　back　to　the　opposite　bank；
nor　did　I　see　or　hear　anything　more　of　the　night　marauders。

Five　or　six　times　on　the　plains　or　on　my　ranch　I　have　had　shots　at
wolves；　always　obtained　by　accident　and　always；　I　regret　to　say；
missed。　Often　the　wolf　when　seen　was　running　at　full　speed　for　cover；
or　else　was　so　far　off　that　though　motionless　my　shots　went　wide　of
it。　But　once　have　I　with　my　own　rifle　killed　a　wolf；　and　this　was
while　travelling　with　a　pack　train　in　the　mountains。　We　had　been
making　considerable　noise；　and　I　never　understood　how　an　animal　so
wary　permitted　our　near　approach。　He　did；　nevertheless；　and　just　as　we
came　to　a　little　stream　which　we　were　to　ford　I　saw　him　get　on　a　dead
log　some　thirty　yards　distant　and　walk　slowly　off　with　his　eyes　turned
toward　us。　The　first　shot　smashed　his　shoulders　and　brought　him　down。

The　wolf　is　one　of　the　animals　which　can　only　be　hunted　successfully
with　dogs。　Most　dogs　however　do　not　take　at　all　kindly　to　the　pursuit。
A　wolf　is　a　terrible　fighter。　He　will　decimate　a　pack　of　hounds　by
rabid　snaps　with　his　giant　jaws　while　suffering　little　damage　himself；
nor　are　the　ordinary　big　dogs；　supposed　to　be　fighting　dogs；　able　to
tackle　him　without　special　training。　I　have　known　one　wolf　to　kill　a
bulldog　which　had　rushed　at　it　with　a　single　snap；　while　another　which
had　entered　the　yard　of　a　Montana　ranch　house　slew　in　quick　succession
both　of　the　large　mastiffs　by　which　it　was　assailed。　The　immense
agility　and　ferocity　of　the　wild　beast；　the　terrible　snap　of　his　long…
toothed　jaws；　and　the　admirable　training　in　which　he　always　is；　give
him　a　great　advantage　over　fat；　small…toothed；　smooth…skinned　dogs；
even　though　they　are　nominally　supposed　to　belong　to　the　fighting
classes。　In　the　way　that　bench　competitions　are　arranged　nowadays　this
is　but　natural；　as　there　is　no　temptation　to　produce　a　worthy　class　of
fighting　dog　when　the　rewards　are　given　upon　technical　points　wholly
unconnected　with　the　dog's　usefulness。　A　prize…winning　mastiff　or
bulldog　may　be　almost　useless　for　the　only　purposes　for　which　his　kind
is　ever　useful　at　all。　A　mastiff；　if　properly　trained　and　of
sufficient　size；　might　possibly　be　able　to　meet　a　young　or　undersized
Texas　wolf；　but　I　have　never　seen　a　dog　of　this　variety　which　I　would
esteem　a　match　single…handed　for　one　of　the　huge　timber　wolves　of
western　Montana。　Even　if　the　dog　was　the　heavier　of　the　two；　his　teeth
and　claws　would　be　very　much　smaller　and　weaker　and　his　hide　less
tough。　Indeed　I　have　known　of　but　one　dog　which　single…handed
encountered　and　slew　a　wolf；　this　was　the　large　vicious　mongrel　whose
feats　are　recorded　in　my　/Hunting　Trips　of　a　Ranchman/。

General　Marcy　of　the　United　States　Army　informed　me　that　he　once
chased　a　huge　wolf　which　had　gotten　away　with　a　small　trap　on　its
foot。　It　was；　I　believe；　in　Wisconsin；　and　he　had　twenty　or　thirty
hounds　with　him；　but　they　were　entirely　untrained　in　wolf…hunting；　and
proved　unable　to　stop　the　crippled　beast。　Few　of　them　would　attack　it
at　all；　and　those　that　did　went　at　it　singly　and　with　a　certain
hesitation；　and　so　each　in　turn　was　disabled　by　a　single　terrible
snap；　and　left　bleeding　on　the　snow。　General　Wade　Hampton　tells　me
that　in　the　course　of　his　fifty　years'　hunting　with　horse　and　hound　in
Mississippi；　he　has　on　several　occasions　tried　his　pack　of　fox…hounds
（southern　deer…hounds）　after　a　wolf。　He　found　that　it　was　with　the
greatest　difficulty；　however；　that　he　could　persuade　them　to　so　much
as　follow　the　trail。　Usually；　as　soon　as　they　came　across　it；　they
would　growl；　bristle　up；　and　then　retreat　with　their　tails　between
their　legs。　But　one　of　his　dogs　ever　really　tried　to　master　a　wolf　by
itself；　and　this　one　paid　for　its　temerity　with　its　life；　for　while
running　a　wolf　in　a　canebrake　the　beast　turned　and　tore　it　to　pieces。
Finally　General　Hampton　succeeded　in　getting　a　number　of　his　hounds　so
they　would　at　any　rate　follow　the　trail　in　full　cry；　and　thus　drive
the　wolf　out　of　the　thicket；　and　give　a　chance　to　the　hunter　to　get　a
shot。　In　this　way　he　killed　two　or　three。

The　true　way　to　kill　wolves；　however；　is　to　hunt　them　with　greyhounds
on　the　great　plains。　Nothing　more　exciting　than　this　sport　can
possibly　be　imagined。　It　is　not　always　necessary　that　the　greyhounds
should　be　of　absolutely　pure　blood。　Prize…winning　dogs　of　high
pedigree　often　prove　useless　for　the　purposes。　If　by　careful　choice；
however；　a　ranchman　can　get　together　a　pack　composed　both　of　the
smooth…haired　greyhound　and　the　rough…haired　Scotch　deer…hound；　he　can
have　excellent　sport。　The　greyhounds　sometimes　do　best　if　they　have　a
slight　cross　of　bulldog　in　their　veins；　but　this　is　not　necessary。　If
once　a　greyhound　can　be　fairly　entered　to　the　sport　and　acquires
confidence；　then　its　wonderful　agility；　its　sinewy　strength　and　speed；
and　the　terrible　snap　with　which　its　jaws　come　together；　render　it　a
most　formidable　assailant。　Nothing　can　possibly　exceed　the　gallantry
with　which　good　greyhounds；　when　their　blood　is　up；　fling　themselves
on　a　wolf　or　any　other　foe。　There　does　not　exist；　and　there　never　has
existed　on　the　wide　earth；　a　more　perfect　type　of　dauntless　courage
than　such　a　hound。　Not　Cushing　when　he　steered　his　little　launch
through　the　black　night　against　the　great　ram　Albemarle；　not　Custer
dashing　into　the　valley　of　the　Rosebud　to　die　with　all　his　men；　not
Farragut　himself　lashed　in　the　rigging　of　the　Hartford　as　she　forged
past　the　forts　to　encounter　her　iron…clad　foe；　can　stand　as　a　more
perfect　type　of　dauntless　valor。

Once　I　had　the　good　fortune　to　witness　a　very　exciting　hunt　of　this
character　among　the　foot…hills　of　the　northern　Rockies。　I　was　staying
at　the　house　of　a　friendly　cowman；　whom　I　will　call　Judge　Yancy　Stump。
Judge　Yancy　Stump　was　a　Democrat　who；　as　he　phrased　it；　had　fought　for
his　Democracy；　that　is；　he　had　been　in　the　Confederate　Army。　He　was　at
daggers　drawn　with　his　nearest　neighbor；　a　cross…grained　mountain
farmer；　who　may　be　known　as　old　man　Prindle。　Old　man　Prindle　had　been
in　the　Union　Army；　and　his　Republicanism　was　of　the　blackest　and　most
uncompromising　type。　There　was　one　point；　however；　on　which　the　two
came　together。　They　were　exceedingly　fond　of　hunting　with　hounds。　The
Judge　had　three　or　four　track…hounds；　and　four　of　which　he　called
swift…hounds；　the　latter　including　one　pure…bred　greyhound　bitch　of
wonderful　speed　and　temper；　a　dun…colored　yelping　animal　which　was　a
cross　between　a　greyhound　and　a　fox…hound；　and　two　others　that　were
crosses　between　a　greyhound　and　a　wire…haired　Scotch　deer…hound。　Old
man　Prindle's　contribution　to　the　pack　consisted　of　two　immense
brindled　mongrels　of　great　strength　and　ferocious　temper。　They　were
unlike　any　dogs　I　have　ever　seen　in　this　country。　Their　mother　herself
was　a　cross　between　a　bull　mastiff　and　a　Newfoundland；　while　the
father　was　descried　as　being　a　big　dog　that　belonged　to　a　〃Dutch
Count。〃　The　〃Dutch　Count〃　was　an　outcast　German　noble；　who　had　drifted
to　the　West；　and；　after　failing　in　the　mines　and　failing　in　the　cattle
country；　had　died　in　a　squalid　log　shanty　while　striving　to　eke　out　an
existence　as　a　hunter　among　the　foot…hills。　His　dog；　I　presume；　from
the　description　given　me；　must　have　been　a　boar…hound　or　Ulm　dog。

As　I　was　very　anxious　to　see　a　wolf…hunt　the　Judge　volunteered　to　get
one　up；　and　asked　old　man　Prindle　to　assist；　for　the　sake　of　his　two
big　fighting　dogs；　though　the　very　names　of　the　latter；　General　Grant
and　Old　Abe；　were　gall　and　wormwood　to　the　unreconstructed　soul　of　the
Judge。　Still　they　were　the　only　dogs　anywhere　around　capable　of
tackling　a　savage　timber　wolf；　and　without　their　aid　the　judge's　own
high…spirited　animals　ran　a　serious　risk　of　injury；　for　they　were
altogether　too　game　to　let　any　beast　escape　without　a　struggle。

Luck　favored　us。　Two　wolves　had　killed　a　calf　and　dragged　it　into　a
long　patch　of　dense　brush　where　there　was　a　little　spring；　the　whole
furnishing　admirable　cover　for　any　wild　beast。　Early　in　the　morning　we
started　on　horseback　for　this　bit　of　cover；　which　was　some　three　miles
off。　The　party　consisted　of　the　Judge；　old　man　Prindle；　a　cowboy；
myself；　and　the　dogs。　The　judge　and　I　carried　our　rifles　and　the
cowboy　his　revolver；　but　old　man　Prindle　had　nothing　but　a　heavy　whip；
for　he　swore；　with　many　oaths；　that　no　one　should　interfere　with　his
big　dogs；　for　by　themselves　they　would　surely　〃make　the　wolf　feel
sicker　than　a　stuck　hog。〃　Our　shaggy　ponies　racked　along　at　a　five…
mile　gait　over　the　dewy　prairie　grass。　The　two　big　dogs　trotted　behind
their　master；　grim　and　ferocious。　The　track…hounds　were　tied　in
couples；　and　the　beautiful　greyhounds　loped　lightly　and　gracefully
alongside　the　horses。　The　country　was　fine。　A　mile　to　our　right　a
small　plains　river　wound　in　long　curves　between　banks　fringed　with
cottonwoods。　Two　or　three　miles　to　our　left　the　foot…hills　rose　sheer
and　bare；　with　clumps　of　black　pine　and　cedar　in　their　gorges。　We　rode
over　gently　rolling　prairie；　with　here　and　there　patches　of　brush　in
the　bottoms　of　the　slopes　around　the　dry　watercourses。

At　last　we　reached　a　somewhat　deeper　valley　in　which　the　wolves　were
harbored。　Wolves　lie　close　in　the　daytime　and　will　not　leave　cover　if
they　can　help　it；　and　as　they　had　both　food　and　water　within　we　knew
it　was　most　unlikely　that　this　couple　would　be　gone。　The　valley　was　a
couple　of　hundred　yards　broad　and　three　or　four　times　as　long；　filled
with　a　growth　of　ash　and　dwarf　elm　and　cedar；　thorny　underbrush
choking　the　sp