St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1878-06-08
Wolves,

wolves.
Mr.. James Graham, an old Texa
hunter and trapper, gives some interes
ing particulars Of lie on the buffalo range
The Indians say that the wolf has n
home. He follows the buffalo, and
ever skirmishing On the edge of the hero
Indefatigable in the chase, he pursues hi
prey for days without sleep. He catche
his napsin the sunlight, and does the bull
of his work at night. Like the Indian
whom he resemble in many characteristics
he never declines an invitation to dinner
A great glutton, he stuf5 himself unit
his paunch is distended, like bladder
and in this condition is often run down
and lassoed by the cowboys on ordinar,
ponies. Some OF the southern tribes 0
Indians nsver Stay wolf. They have
superstition that when thsy die thei]
spirit roam the prairies in the guise O
wolves. ''Who Stays wolf may STAY
his brother" is an Indian proverb.
Cruel and voracious, the gray wolf is
an arrant coward. While on the Brazos
in 1878, ercamped above what is called
"The Round Tmbers," Graham kill.
ed five bufaloa for bait. He
charged three with strychnine, and
In the morning found five dead wolves.
Three great eagles were perched upon
! the head and shoulders OF an imprisoned
carcass, and two large gray wolves were
tearing the hams. The eagles regarded
the wolves with al evil eye. At intervals
the most powerful bird strobe over the
carcass with outstretched wings and open
beak. In an instant the wolves cringed
to the ground, and skunk away with their
heads over their shoulders like whipped
ours. With the hair of their necks on
end they furtively watched the lordly
bird until he returned to bis comrades.
Then, with averted eyes, they sneaked
back to the feast, and crunched and
gnawed until their rapacity again ex-
cited the ire of the feathered nobleman
at the head Of the table.
A striking peculiarly Of the wolf is
his habit of running with his head over
his shoulders. Suddenly frightened. he
PUSHES off like the wind, with his face
turned back to the foe and his tail be-
tween his legs. "He ran like scared
WOLF" is Texans estimate of the speed
of coward. No dog but a thorough
bred greyhound can overtake him. It
seems almost impossible for wolf to
look anything in the face. He will
hardly meet the stare Of grasshopper.
Graham declares that when wolves have
been paralyzed by strychnine he has held
them by the cara, turned their faces
around, and tried to force them to look
into his eyes. Not for second was he
successful. They would look over his
shoulder or turn their eyes in any direc-
ton, and even entirely close them before
they would meet his gaze. A story is
told of Texas farmer who caught coy
ote cub, and stared into its eyes until the
cub died.
The report of a gun, in olden times,
never failed to put every wolf within
hearing on the alert. He Immediately
began to look for dead buffalo, and gen.
orally managed to secure his share of the
booty. In the spring, when the calves
an with the herds, and the droves were
:esting at noon, the big gray wolves
organized for an attack. Woe betided
he calf on the outskirts of the drove.
The ferocious beasts would cut it out in
! rush, after stampeding the herd, If
he calf was nearly full grown they
would hamstring it with their teeth, but
f young and tender would tear out
ne throat before the dam could come to
is defense. Frequently lone wolf
outed out an cid bull, driven from the
lerd by younger and more active bulls.
lie caught him by the nose, and hung on
Until shaken off. The attack was kept
Ip until the bull started on run. The
Volt kept in the rear until the old
,atriarch showed signs of fatigue, when
le resumed the attack in front. The
'uffalo was not allowed to flag. If he
ell into walk, he was again seized by
he nose. When nearly exhausted the
FOWLS of the wolf drew other wolves
rom their lairs, and between them the
Id veteran was banstrung and rendered
lelpless, and finally torn in pieces by the
'ack. a ~.
Gray is the most common color Of the
rolves in Texas. Occasionally white
mes are killed. Graham says that he
illed eight in one winter with skins as
7hite as the riven snow. The black |
rolf is very scarce. and mostly found in !
be timber His fur brings the highest |
rice; but, during six years OF trapping,
traham declares that he never saw one,
nd heard of not more than two or three |
not on the Clear fork of the Trinity by
party of rangers.
A Significant Reply.
A fine example of courteous rebuke
- II, o,,sxyoy ,f q DISTINGUISHED E,ro1;sh