The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-07-26
A Famous Fighting Wolf.

Letter in the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
In the winter of 1894 a notable
wolf was killed IN the northern part
of Rails County. 1t a. q large gray
wolf and had lost O part of One Of its
called it Stump Toe. Its track was
peculiar and came to be we'll known,
but the animal itself got to be so no.
torious that scores of persons could
recognize it on sight.
Old Stump-Toe was bold, skillful
and %sagaclous, as savage as atiger, as
crafty as a fox and as fleet as the wind.
He had often been chased by the best
hunters, had been shot at a OF
times, had been pursued ever through
the streets Of Palmyra, had whipped
four large dogs at one time
and killed two at another. had cut
the thrOats of a hundred sheep and
stolen a score of pigs, and at last be-
came so troublesome that the county
authorities of Rails county rose
against him and offered a reward of
$50 for his scalp.
The notoriety OF the brute, his ex-
traordinary gameness, and the large
reward for him stimulated the general
desirefor his capture. Mr.. John Mat
son, then and now a citizen OF the
southern part OF Marion county, own
ed a very large and valuable grey
hound, q swift runner and fierce fight
or. One morning in the season before
mentioned Mr.. Matson and DIR. Nc.
Elroy, the latter an accomplished
hunter and sportsman, set out, being
we'll armed aud mounted on good
horses, to capture old Stump-Toe,
whose track had been seen in the
neighborhood the previous evening.
They had with them fifteen dogs, in.
Guiding the greyhound and half adozen
more well-trained and efficient deer
hounds. The trail was soon. struck,
and presently the party came up with
old Stump.Toe. The latter flashed
his large white teeth in the morning
sunbeams with a wolish sheer, as if
he said:
"Well, here goes for some more fun
with those poor, harmless, inoffen-
sive dogs" and was off like a shot,
The greyhound flew away over the
prairie, and soon overlook Stump
Toe, and catching him by a hind leg
jerked him backward. With one quick
snap the wolf laid open g. fearful cash
in the hounds neck, and then set to
work to finish his strange antagonist,
whose like he had never before seen.
A desperate fight resulted. Both ami.
mails were large, ke%en.fanged, and
brave. The other dogs and men were
half a mile in the rear when the fight
began, but arrived when it was in full
progress, and just in time to save the
greyhound.
The relnforcements pitched in. The
other dogs surrounded the wolf, at.
tacking him from every side. HI
fought them bravely and we'll, send
ing many a hound wounded and yelp-
ing to the rear. 1t IA a fight worth
seeing-a dozen dogs upon wolf
and the wolf holding his own and
more. The men could not shoot fol-
fear of killing the dogs, and the vol
was really in a fair way to win thu
! fight. At last DR.. McElroy detached
O. steel stirrup with it's straps from
| the saddle, and, seated upon his
/ horse, rode close up to the %strugglin,
group, and, swinging the stirrup lik'
| q Slung-snOC, ,OeclQeO Tue co!lDaI ~
beating old Stump.Toe over the head
stunning him SO that the dogs 500,
| finished him. Every dog that Tough
was wounded and some seriously in
iured. The greyhound IA badl.
hurt. Old Stump died game. TIL
doctor and MI. Maston took his scall
to New London, received the $5t
bounty, and the scalp was long on ex
hibition in the office of the count!
clerk.