Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-12-15

With seven hounds and four hunters we
left camps one day recently at dawn for
davis run after wolves. When an hour
out of camp the baying of the hounds in
a coppice to the right OF US told that some
thing. was started, and the next minute
lank. gray wolf, with six cubs streaming
after her dashed out into the open ground
and ran past us go close that we might
have killed her with revolver; but some
thing like pity stayed every mans hand,
and we let her go by US without shot.
The cubs were evidently four or five
months old, and kept well up with the
mother, who moved over the prairie like
a gray streak. When the dogs finally
broke cover she had disappeared around
the face of a hillock. to the top OF which
we spurred our horses in order to see the
remainder of the chase. In the course of
a few minutes it was plain to see that the
cubs were losing their wind, one of them
falling behind SO rapidly that he was al
most in the jaws of the foremost hound.
and the others, while keeping ahead, CIV
ing every evidence of distress.
The mother wolf was not moving at her
best by any means, and if she would aban
don her cubs to the dogs might easily es-
cape, but instead of doing that she sud-
denly wheeled around, while the cubs
kept on forward, and doubling square on
her tracks, closed with the hound who
was in the lead, and not more than ten
Before the dog could recover from his
surprise, she had him by the throat. her
long. white teeth cutting through skin
and muscle. then closing and tearing
out wind-pipe, jugular vein and gullet. 1t
was only single bite, but the spread and
strength of her jaws as well as the sharp
ness of her teeth, made it fatal. Then
she bumped up her back and in ten
bounds had regained the lost ground aud
was again in full retreat in the centre of
her family. In the nature of things, how
ever, the cubs could not stand the killing
pace they fell behind in ones and twos
and the result was a foregone conclusion
at least it was so until the mother adopt
ed new turn of tactics. She started off at
right angle with the line pursued by the
cubs, swerving in her course so as to bring
herself very near to the hounds, appar-
emily with the purpose OF attracting the
chase to herself. Three of the dogs ac-
cepted the invitation, and presently were
out of sight in the rough country to which
she led them, while the remaining two
busted themselves with the cubs now left
to their own devices.
At rafting pace we set off across the
country in the direction taken by the old
wolf and presently from an elevation dis
covered the chase not far ahead. The
dogs were rapidly gaining on the prey,
and we spurned on in order to be in at the
death. In this essential this method Of
hunting wolves is similar to the English
sport of fox-hunting, largely dependent
for its pleasure upon good horses, fleet,
sharp nosed hounds, and the spice of dan
ger always attending a break ride
over a rough country. But our sport was
not married by any sentimental pity for
the victim, as the killing of wolves is an
hunters as ranchmen. They not only kill
and MAIN enormous quantities of wild
game. but do not scruple at entering a
ranchero's barn-yard and carrying away
young hogs, sheep and even young calves
The eastern method of getting rid of
troublesome domestic animals is in vogue
here against wild beasts to a great extent,
and thousands of wolves are yearly killed
through devouring poisoned meats pre-
pared for them by the farmers.
The run was but a short one, and before
one drew near enough for the effective use
of our shot-guns the dogs had dragged
the tired animal to the ground and were
tearing at her throat. Wolf-skins in the
frontier market bring from 81 80 to SO 90
each, and as every pelt we captured dur
ing the hunt was to fall to the share of
Lin. our cook, he was probably the most
eager member of the chase. He rode into
the thick OF the fight, and. kicking the
dogs to the right and left. had the skin
stripped from the animal before the blood
had done flowing from his throat.
In the course of the morning we ran
down three other gray wolves, and sue
ceeded in shooting a coyote as well as an
antelope for dinner.-Cor Cincinnati En-
quirer.
His Mothers Tears