San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-05-03

horses were to come back for new move.
AS we got out of town early in the
morning we reached the spot selected long
before noon. The car was hauled off to
the side of the road at favorable place,
and the men with the horses waited no
longer than to unhitch them before start
ing on the return journey. While we had
not seen a wolf on the trip out, several
sledges had been pursued the week before
in broad daylight, and the two men and
four horses were certainly a temptation
for the brutes to gather. In making
ready we had had the advice of two or
three old wolf hunters, and had adopted
some of their suggestions. We had
brought along some raw meat for bait, as
nlso gallon of beef's blood. AS soon as
we settled down we thawed this blood,
and then went out in three different direc-
tions and sprinkled it on the hard, white
crust. On our way back to the car we
left trail and flung out piece of meat
ut intervals. We had not yet reached the
car when we heard the howl of WOLF
and five minutes later we could see a
dozen of them scampering about. 1t was
an hour, however, before one came within
reach of our guns. Then the sun, which
had been brightly shining all the forenoon,
was hidden by clouds, and snow squall
came up to still further darken the
heavens.
The bowling of wolves could now be
heard in every direction, and pretty soon
they followed the trails of blood in until
we all got shot, and each tumbled
wolf over. From the instant they fell to
the time their bones were clean picked by
their companions was not over forty Sec
It
watch the proceeding. The mouthful
apiece whetted their appetites and stimu-
lated their ferocity, and the whole pack
made rush at the car. The beasts no
doubt took it for travellers sledge, and
the attack was surprising in its fierceness.
The number of wolves was not less than
500, and for the first five minutes we
were seriously alarmed. They were over,
under, and around u.s. bowling, barking,
snarling, growing, and fighting in a way
to give US chills, and, had our car not
been securely fastened to the broad, heavy
runners, they would have upset it in their
rushes. The exterior had been sheathed
with sheet iron. We had objected
to this expense, but had finally accepted
the advice Of one of the wolf hunters
We now realized the wisdom of this pre-
wolves would have eaten their way into
the car in dozen places.
Such a fierce and unexpected attack
ratified us for a few minutes, but after a
bit we began firing buckshot into the pack
as fast as we could load and pull trigger.
Then it was pandemonium let loose. The
how!s, yells, yelps, grOwls and cries re-
doubled, because every victim Of our guns
was being devourcd by his companions
We fired thirty-four charges of buckshot
into the mass, killing at Least double that
number of wolves, and then the pack
began to scatter, and ten minutes later
not living wolf was in sight. 1t was q
horrible looking sight around us. Every
wolf but one had been devoured. Tufts
of fur and bloody bones were scattered
over the snow for 100 feet in every direc-
ton, and there was not foot of snow
without its blood stain. There was a
wounded wolf who had escaped the fangs
of the pack, probably because their appe
titles were satisfied for the time being
He had been shot through the hips and
could no longer use his hind legs. He
was very large fellow, and we soon had
reason to believe that he was still danger
Gus. The beast was about fifty steps
away when we descended from the car,
and the minute he caught sight of us a
great transformation took place. All the
fur along his spine stood up, his eyes
blazed like fire, and he uttered such fierce
groWls that the three of us raised our
guns. The brute could drag himself over
the snow crust with his fore legs, and as
we stood looking at him he began hitch
ing himself forward to attack us. We let
him come within five or six feet Of us be.
fore knocking him over. From his actions
there was no doubt he would have boldly
attacked the three of US had he been less
desperately wounded. His scalp was the
only one we saved out of the sixty or
seventy shot
Not another wolf was seen until night
came down. Then they gathered around
us seemingly by the thousands. Looking
out from one of the small sliding doors
one was reminded of a great drove OF
sheep cantering over rough ground. Not
one of them was still for a minute, and a
free fight was always in order. Our house
stood six or seven feet high, but they
leaped over it back and forth as easily as
they could have cleared log At one
time several of them engaged in a fight
over our heads, and we had serious fears
of the roof breaking under their weight.
When we finally opened fire honestly be-
Geve there were 1000 wolves within pistol
shot. Our house was the center Of cir.
Gle of leaping. bowling, fighting, growing,
yelping beasts, each one of which seemed
bent on getting nearer. 1t was bright
moonlight night, and we did not waste a
shot. One could have shut his eyes and
been sure of killing or wounding at every
discharge. We limited our shots to twenty