Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-04-28


We afterward surmised that this las
was sort of secret portal, whence the
animal could escape in case any one
tried to corner" him in his burrow.
Then there was O fourth hole, the
purpose of which was best known tC
che proprietor himself. For, no doubt
ne had his dig-OaLt arranged in man
ner best to suit his own style of living
Judging from the piles of yellow dirt
Ehich he had thrown out, the burrov
must have been quite commodious.
Here our fellow-settler spent his day
times, in slumbering, it is likely. Near.
~ every night, after dark, we could hear
his evening salutatory of yelps, snarls
and banks. That meant that his hunt
fo1 jack-rabbits was about to begin-fo1
this was his customary business in the
night.
He was bad neighbor. Anything
left about She stove, in the way of bacon
or fat, was sure to be gone in the morn
ing. Once the brute carried off nearly
whole ham. My brother shot at it
two or three times after that, and
notched one of it's ears with bullet.
Very early in the morning, we would
sometimes see the cayote, sitting up
like dog, near his hole, looking with
wistful expression at the cattle in the
corral chewing their cuds. This was
probably after a poor night for jacks.
Going to bed on an empty stomach with
SO much good nice beef in sight was
hard lines"
Edward (my brother) would some
oInnes send ball up that way. If the
cayote saw MIN about to shoot, he would
instantly disappear. Sometimes Ed
would fire from the wagon. At the
puff of smoke, the animal would duck.
there would be momentary glimpse of
it's bushy tail, and that would be last of
| him for that day.
The sheep-herders sometimes lose
heavily by wolves. But even in packs,
cayotes never attempt to pull down
horned cattle--except sometimes young
calves
The second spring We were there one
of our 3-year-old heifers stole away
with her calf into run or ravine, two
or three miles from the yard. Toward
night we set off in search of her, and,
as evening drew on, we were attracted
to this run by the believing of the
heller.
On riding to the top of the bank we
could see the COW rushing about in
frantic attempts to drive off six or seven
cayotes that were trying to drag off her
calf, which they had already worried to
death. But the cow was so resolute and
savage that they could none of them
get more than taste of the veal before
she would chase them off, first one and
then another.
This was the first time we had ever
seen our friend of the notched ear in
company with others. We concluded
that he had summoned them to his aid
to help kill the calf and beat off the
cow. On our riding into the run they
all skulked.
Ed now declared our cayote neighbor
nuisance, too long endured already,
and that he must die.
We had with us that spring a young
fellow named Zofe Whiting. Gopher,
I think, was his given name. He said
he was from New Jersey. He had come
West to seek his fortune as many
others dc-and. not having found it, he
stopped with us six or eight weeks and
worked for his board.
Next morning, Ed, Zofe and ] started
to drown out the cayote, carrying with
us three tin buckets and our iron stove
pot. Ed took along bat-stick, for
since Zofe had come to us, we had sol
handed game of ball.
After good look at the place, we de-
cided to put water In at the upper
most of the notes.-the one on the crest
of the bluff. One of the other holes we
stopped with stones, and at the lower
one Ed took his place, bat in hand, to
knock the cayote on the head when the
water should force him out.
Ed also took the precaution to place
his Nand. But the joke of it was, we
did not see the other hole, out by the
rock, for it was partially under the rock,
and no dirt had been thrown out there
The distance down to the creek was
not more than 100 feet. The bank,
however, was rather steep. But Zofe
and I got to work, at trot, up and
back, with our buckets and pot, sending
water down the hole, while Ed lay, with
drawn bat-stick, ready to strike.
We had carried up eight or ten
buckets of water apiece, when suddenly
the animal popped his head out at the
lower hole, but caught sight of Ed in
the act of striking, and instantly drew
back. The bat came down with a
tremendous whack across the hole, but
didn't hit the cayote.
Keep 1t up, boysl" he shouted, 9TH
fetch him next timer
We kept it up for six or eight turns
more Ed crouching, with his eye in
te1tly fixed on the hole, when, hearing
a slight noise out by the rock, Zofe and
[ looked round, and 10! the cayote was
just taking leave!
We yelled to Ed.
He jumped up, and for moment
acted as if he could not believe his own
eyes, then snatched the gun and FREQ