The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-09-17
THE BLACK WOLVES OF PUGET
SOUND.

SOUND.
Daring tho first four or five year
that We titled . farm on Cedar creek, il
Washington Territory. we wer
troubled great deal by wolves, ant
by wild dogs" from the Indian vii
lagos. There was no profit In raising
sheep. or stock Of any kind, on accoun
of the dcpredations Of these animals.
! Nor could horses safely be left in the
pasture. The best horse We ever hat
! while there was hamstrung by wolves
Aud it::was hardly ssfe for man. even
| 10 be out OF certain times Of the year
especially at night.
My brother Hanson, then seventeen
years old. and myself. came very neal
losing our lives, one night IN Sovem'
ber We were returning from q merry
msking, st neigh hboriDg settlers house
six or seven miles from our own place
But will first tell OF an adventure
which VIC had with . black wolf one
evening, the summer before. in oul
very yard. II was between sunset and
dark, and we were liking in The COWS
house.
Joined to the cowhouse was . corral
or pen, with high fence around it
The fence was Of strong stakes. driven
into the ground. and was seven or eight
feet high. The stakes were shsrpcned
! at the top. set close, and laced together
with birch withes.
A door opened from tie cowh use
into the corral. and there was also q
gate leading into it from tho pasture
outside The gate was Is higi, as the
fence, but Of ls.e it had been pr0pped
open. a set OF light bars htvinG been
put ia place of it.
The calycs-fOur Of tkem-wrrs ont
in the corral. where they had their
drinking trough aud we had just given
them their milk AID porridge. Que
however. was not weaned. and we
turned the COW out to it; and she stood
calmly chewing her cud. her head
pointed into one corner, while the calf
sucked.
AZ have said. we were milking in
side. Getting up to change pals. |
Glanced to glance out Of the little viii
dow. hole, aud saw black wolf stand
ing Just Outsiie to bars He WAS
looking in at the c,lves. aud they were
staring Mt him. without seeming to be
,luch nfrnid
As looked. the wolf jumped the
bars, aud sprnns nj one "t the calves.
At that, the COW in the corner turned
Ln anI I end den
transformation in any creature as took
place in her Her cud few out Of her
mouth, and with friehtful bawHng.
she plunged at the anima! on the IN
slant.
The wolf turned and ran round the
yard once or twice. then jumped the
bars and stood facing her. The COW
reached her head over the top bar. and
shook her horns at him.
The wolf now began to m"ve toward
the bars. first at one end. then ut the
other, and watching his chance, he
leaped in again past the COW.
Then round the corral they flew. till
the COW once more drove him out. The
wolf leaped in and the COW drove hin,
out three or four times. while Hanse
and stood watching them through the
window-hole. Then started to get
the gun, but Hanse said.-
Hold on. Wait until he jumps in
again. Well slip out back, run around
the corral and shut the gate. Then We
shall have him!
As the corral was too high for the
wolf to Jump it. that was what we did
We ran out quickly. shut the gate and
propped it to. then ran back into the
cowhouse and looked out again.
Cow, wolf aud calves, were going
round the pen. The COW fairly barked.
aud the calves bawled with terror.
They were oil going round and round,
the wolf dodg,ng. swapping. and doing
his best to keep from under the COW s
feet.
Then We seized two oak stanchions.
and opening thsiloor. sprang out to
take hand in the battle. But the old
COW was so crazy that she did not know
man from wolf, and she would dash
headlong at us as fercely as shs would
at him. In trying to Dodge her. one
OI IuC CHtVCS uCnu SNiuNh SIS saS
back, and knocked me more than ten
feet.
Before | could get up. the COW and
wolf both ran over me. 1t was the
most exciting aud dangerously lively
place l ever was in. We were glad to
get out Of it and 10: them 60.
But the wolf at last became sick OF
being raced round the corral. and turn
ing savsgely, jumpcdst the cows nose.
He Seized 1t through the gristle. and
after smart tusslc, threw her to tie
ground.
At that, Hanse and sailed out again
and attacked the wolf with our stan
chion poles. The brute backed into .
corner, showing his teeth and snsrling;
but he was SO out Of breath that he
could do nothing more; and playing
on him with the poles. We soon killed
him.
1t was . large black wolf. long and
gaunt. - they all are, and stood fully
three feet high.
The COW presently got up and seem
Ell not much if any hurt; and then IT
was not long until the calf was sucking
sraiu. But before nine o'clock the
calf was dead. The milk seemed to
have been envcn omed, and WAS poison.
think tha. the wolves in that sec.
ton sometimes run mad. like dogs. and
perhaps more frequently than dogs. On
several occasions. We saw 1T distance
running in the woods. wolves which
behaved a. ii rabid