Arizona weekly enterprise., 1889-03-16
WOLVES AND HORSES.
MORTAL COMBAT BETWEEN WILD SPEEDS AND GRAY PROWLERS.

nut mountain keAnso oh NeSsuA - A Thrilling Fight to the Death-Beautiful Specimens of the Equine Broed.
 "One of the queerest things about Nevada, and one that has kept me won dering." said Tom D. Sellers, of Carson, to an Examiner reporter at the Baldwin. "are those wild horses. I have lived in Nevada twenty years. A good deal of that time have been in the Comstock range, but when not there mining have been of in the hills of Douglas, Nye, Churchill and Lander counties.
 ''It is in these that many bands of wild horses roam at their pleasure, both winter and summer. In winter the wild horses usually seek shelter in the Pine nut range of Douglas county.
 "This Pinenut range extends for sev- enty-fve or hundred miles out toward Utah, and Is covered with thick growth of shI1Iblil1e pines, which bear nutritious nut and which give ample shelter, while atfording the exclusion which the wild bands seek. The Indians used to live on this nut, and they do yet to some extent, but in the valleys below the pines, and growing at intervals among them, Is 0 very nutritious grass It is on this that the wild horses live.
 LARGE MUSTANGS.
 "The real mountain wild horse Is a mustang of large size. His shoulders are unftted for the collar, not being so heavy as those of the American horse, and he Is mountain climber, scarcely excelled by the wild goat.
 Every color, from bright bay to Iron gray, white and black, can be found. For steady running nothing of the equine breed can equal him The racers which run on our tracks would outrun him for a couple of miles, perhaps, but they have not the staying qualities of the wild ones.
 Il am just in from the Pinenut range. I went over there hunting deer in com pany with William McKendree and John Thurston, of Pioche. We fell afoul of a band of about twenty wild horses that dashed into our camp and liked to have made us walk mere than 100 miles. It was about 10 o'clock, and we had just turned in
 "Our camp fire was yet brightly blazing, and 1 heard a roar of to the northwest like the tread of an advancing army. We were on the northwest side of the range, and there was 0 steady in- cline right down to us for couple of miles. 1 gazed out into the dim light, but could see nothing, as the fire into which had previously been looking and thinking blurred my eyes.
 ''The roar continued and called to Thurston and McKendree to get up, and that something was going to happen One said 1t was a storm brewing away off in the hills and the other thought 1t was an earthquake.
 "All three of US peered forth into the darkness. Our four horses grew uneasy and dashed around end pulled at their lariats.
 ''1n minute we saw the band emerge i from stretch of pines and come on to ward us. They were running at fear | ful rate; their nostriis were dilated, and their long names and tails flying in the wind. Their eyes flashed fire, and none of US could understand the reason oi their flight. On they came, seemingly seeking protection, and dashed right ur to us.
 ''We saw we were to be ground under their heels unless we did something, and we began to shout and halloo for all we were worth.
 "Our horses were meantime dashine and charging, and it looked as if every instant they would break away. We grasped our guns and fired over the | heads of the horses, for they were sC l pretty that we didn't want to kill them
 Finally, just at the last second oi time, when we thought we were to bt borne down by the wild throng. they turned uild dashed down tl.e hill into tht darkness.
 By this time we began to hear weir( howls and neighing and stamping Every once In a while we heard { whack. as though something was hitting something else with terrific force, com bined with louder howls. The noise wa just behind the spur of pinenut trees, ; quarter of a mile away. 1t continued louder than ever, and two of us con cluded to push on out and see what tn rumpus was.
 Judge of our surprise when we se three old stallions surrounded by pacl of big mountain wolvesEand kicking an, biting for all they were worth. Three o four of the wolves had been sent t grass, their ribs broken and disabled i other ways
 FIERCE COMBAT.
 Around the stallions were the abl bodied wolves, snapping and growlin and showing their long, white, viciou teeth. Their eyes gleaned wickedly i the darkness. The side of one of th horses was bitten and bleeding.
 "The horses stood almost head to hea and planted terrific blows on the head and bodies of the wolves.
 "Every once in q while a wolf dc scribed parabola In the air. It was scene long to be remembered Out ther In the keen, crisp night air of the mour tains the three wild horses were fightin not only for their lives, but for the live of the younger and weaker members C the band, who were being defended fror the wolves, who, hungry, had stolen 1 upon them.
 "We fired on the wolves, and for minute there was as interesting fusi Jade es you could wish to see. We shc of the horses, and several of the big gra wolves bit the dust. They did not giv up right off, though.
 ''They still eyed and snapped violentl } at the horses, and even when we ha disrupted the band by our firing and th horses turned to run away some of tfl wolves followed them A shot frol Thurston's gun, however, fixed the ol l lead wolf, and another ball crippled th l next, and the wild horses fled far ava to join the band which they had so valo i ously defended.
 i "1n moment there was nothing bJ the distant resounding of hoofs, as tt = liOrseo fed f.AI dow the edgo of tho lit 3 stream in the distance. The wolves too back track to the trees far back on tt l Pinenut range, and we saw no more ( F them that night, though you may sure that one or the other of us w; awake until broad daylight. Fral cisco Examiner.
 2 ''It says in the paper," quote Mir 7 Spriggins, "that they are pushing u - Poughkeepsie bridge very hard. SUI I pose they want to see if it is real zoe . and strong. ."-Farper's Bazar.