Richland beacon., 1888-06-30
AN EXCITING WOLF CHASE.
A FAVORITE SPORT OF HUNTERS
IN THE WEST.
The Desperate Fight Of n Wolf to
Save Her Young From he Jaws
Ofthp Hounds

The Desperate right OF q NoI1 10
Save Her Young From the Jaws
Ofthc Hounds.
"Chasing wolves with horses and
hounds where these animals abound in
the West, said Ben amin Reed. of ~
coming Co Penn. who recently returned
from 30 wears residence in the North
western Territories, has grown To be,
next to coursing antelope with Grey
hounds, the favOrltc sport of the hunters
for pleasure. The wolf chase is especially
popular in Idaho. In a fair stand-up
fight a gray, White or black wolf Will
whip any dog, no matter how bold or
game he is. These species Of the wolf
know their own powers, and seem 10 Ike
nothing better than to have s,t-to with
n dog. never knew gray wolf TO run
from single dog in all my experience.
IL was one of the party tha; campcd
between the headwatcrs of the Macarthur
and Maladc Rivers, near the base of the
Salmon Mountains, III Idaho, in the day s
when buffalo was still plenty, but wolves
were so numerous in that region, and We
found the chase OF them on horseback SO
exciting, that many buffalo owed his
life at our hands to that wolii>h presence.
81 remember in particular one wolf
hunt we had while cncampcd in the Sal.
mon Mountain region We were mount
ed on the bet buffalo hunting horses we
could buy, and when Il horse is good
buila!o-hunter he is as good rs Il hose
can be. Our pack of hoands was lar%c
and every dog thoroughbred foNhouud.
/ The season was early fall. tur route
led to the rocky rises OF the Salmon
range, which are famous lurking places
for the gray wolf, the rocks and dense
underground giving them the best of
shelter, and the numerous streams afford
ing them unusual opportunities to cap
turc game animals that seek the water
to drink and feed on the tender roots
and plants that grow on the borders of
the streams.
''We had ridden several miles through
this rough country before the dogs sue
cccded in starting a wolf, but at last
they gave tongue in il thickct off to the
right, and quickly following the excited
braying a very large but gaunt she wolf
with litter of whclps tumbling after
her broke into the opening. She dashed
past us like flash, and her litter Of
Young ones huddled close too her. evi-
IDENTITY finding no difficulty in keeping
| pace with hc", although she went Ike the
wind. As the wolf passed us she was SO
close that pistol shot could have
dropped her, but not man raised his
hand against her. There was a stretch
of prairie probably one eighth of a mile
in width between the thicket where
Il h. - ii n al
like but not steep mound or hillOck.
She dashed straight for the llock, and 50
swift was her gait that she had disap-
peared around it lcfore the dogs broke
from the brush to take up the trail
They followed it in full Cry, and VIC
spurred our horses to the hillock, and
,ip its sides to the summit TO discover
the direction the wolf had taken. The
killing pace she had cut out was more
than her pups could maintain, as we dis
covered on reaching the top of the
mound, as the old wolf had slackcncd
her speed to suit that of her young, two
of which had fallen behind and were
making their way with difficulty.
"Thc dogs dashed around the hllocls
and were quickly clearing the space be-
tween them and the young wolves that
had dropped so far in the rear that it was
only question of few seconds WHEN
the Jaws of the leading hounds of the
pack would close upon them. and their
future as prowling pests would be de-
stroyed. Although the mother wolf
governed her pace to suit that of those
of the litter that had kept by her, it was
plain that it was only by great effort
that they were able to move even at that
spced. The old wolf could easily have
escaped by abandoning her interesting
family, but, wolf as she was, she was a
true and brave mother. She evidently
recognized the fact that the situation
was critical, and she changed her tactics
in a surprising manner. She suddenly
turned in her tracks and charged back
upon the hound that led the pack by
several PAGES and was almost upon the
wolf cub that was furthcst in the rear.
The winded litter kept on at the best
speed they could make. The sudden
charge OF the old wolf took the hound C
by surprise that before he could MAKE
any show against her at all she had him
by the throat, and with one terrible
snap of her strong jaws severed wind
pipe and jugular vein, and threw
the dog from her as dead as stone
The two young ones kept on in IA tottcr
ing way for few PAGES and fell cy
hausted to the ground. The old wolf
seeing that it was impossible to revive
them, dashed on again and placed her
self in the midst of the family that was
left to her and by various devices tried
to urge them on and encourage them
But it was useless. They fell behinC
singly and in pairs until only one, will
more vigor than the rest, was lef
struggling along with the mother.
"Only one result could be forescei
from the situation, bat the old VOL
resolved to make one more attempt Il
save her young ones, The dogs wc:'
almost upon her, and Suddenly sh'
struck off at right angles from the direc
ton her weary cubs were taking, ant
sped away over the prairie like a rae
horse, passing the hounds almost unde
their noses. She could have bHt ont
design in thus apparently abandonin.
her cubs and that was a heroic measure
She hored to divert the dogs from thtn
bv leading them in a chase after hcrsel
and she succeeded. The pack FOLLOWED
her, and now that the chase was in w
dashed after the hounds. But it was
short one, as the wolf waycred in Ii"
course, apparently drawn by her materna
instinct back to her abandoned young
and she gradually turned and bore bacI
toward the spot where she had left them
The dogs headed her of, md before W
, relched the scene of the ensuing con'lic