The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1881-06-18
A Famous Hunter.

A Famous Hunter.
Some years ago, but little hunting hav.
ing been done for some time, the wolves be-
came very numerous as we'll as very oe.
| structive not only in Southwestern Virgin
ia, but fcarfully SO in Western North Caro-
lima; 50 much so that but few sheep had es.
capped them in the vicinity Of the Black,
Yellow and Roam Mountains, in Rip Van
Wrinkles dominions. The fame Of Wilburn
Waters as an intrepid and successful hunt
or and trapper having gone out into all that
country, a nunb.r Of farmers and stock
raisers whose folds had been broken up
and scattsred-so'ne sixty in all-drew up
AN obligation to give him one sheep each
tor every wolf he would capture, In addi-
ton to the five dollars bounty given by
the county for each scalp. Wilburn accept
cd the proposition and killed several wolves,
but the dcpredations continued. lie again
started ON hunt. According to Coale's
life he held out faithfully, though the
wolves led him from mountain to mount.
ain and from gorge to gorge, to great dis
tances and for weeks. But when he re.
turned he brought the scalps, not only to
to all that gang, but Of others, making in all
forty-two wolves as his winters hunt. Be.
sides these he captured during the hunt a
number Of catamounts, few bears, an otter
Or two and any number Of wild turkeys and
other small game.
During the same general hunt he had
an exciting time with detachment Of five
wolves that had wandered off to some dis.
lance from the main gang. lie was entire.
~ alone, without even dog, high up one
of the tall peaks Of the Roam mountain
and several miles away from the nearest
human habitation. The five wolves he
was In search Of were two old ones and
three halfgrown. They had destroyed a
great deal If stock in the range as well as
in the acJacent valleys, running out dogs
that had been put upon their trail and even
evincing disposition to attack man when
alone. Wilbur had found "sign" and had
followed it up tall cliff near the summit Of
one Of the most inaccessible peaks in the
range. 1t was sultry, dizzily day, and
having greatly fatigued himself working his
way up through tangled vines and laurel
jungles ard climbing over and around steep
and ragged precipices he Law down to rest
under shelving rock and fell asleep. In
about an hour he arose refreshed. and,
crawling out Of his resting PLACE. he found
that the old leader Of the gang had been
accommodating while he slept and had
passed along ona ledge few feet below
him. Picking up his gun and tomahawk,
he took the track, and OH approaching a
rrecipice, he saw the old male wolf ut it's
base quietly licking his chops and apparent.
y winding prey or an enemy In the dis.
lance. Stcalthily advancing within con.
venient range, Wilbur brought his shot.
gun to bear and fired, when the largest and
most formidable wolf Of the gang fell and
died without struggle. Securing the
skin he made his way with great difficulty
to the top Of the precipice and there, Just
beyond the turn Of the summit he saw the
four others, three Of them gambling like
puppies around the dam, not having hcar.,
the report Of the gun under the cliff: They
were in an open place, and it was very dit:
ticult to get within range without being
seen, heard or windrd, but he made out to
"snake" it to within forty yards Of them
and 'pulled down." Two Of them dropped
dead, but the old dam and one ot the cubs
escaped into a cavern near by.
Having started out with the determine.
ton ofcapturing the whole family, he went
to digging with sharpened stick he soon
reached the old one, which was to large to
get far. into the hole, drew her out BY the
hind legs and tied her feet together. He
had to widen the passage for distance Of
ten or twelve feet before he could reacl, the
other. The hole, after being thus worked
out, vas barely large enough to admit his
body. and, it bcing impossible for the wolf
to escape, hs had to meet II face t., face. All
that he could see Of the animal was its
eyes, which slone like two balls Of fire IN
the darkness Of the cavern, and, having no
room to operate with gun or tomah.wk; he
cautiously slipped his hand over the VOLTS
head, grasped it, brought it out and tied it
a" he had the other. He then marvl,.d
out Into the settlement with two live
wolves and three skins, without having re-.
ceivcd scratch or wasting load Of ammu.
milton The days work brought him $l7s.
made up by the settlers whose stock had
'cen destroyed and whose lives had been
'nenaccd BY the gang.-Knoxvillc (Tcnn.)
Tribune.
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A Sensible Fashion.