The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-16
NIGHTS WITH THE COYOTES.
The Desperate Straits of Two Men on
the Plains in Early Days.
From the Kansas city Times


From the Kansas city Times
A Barry Mo- correspondent writes: Sit
ting around the stove at the railroad station
one cold day, Willing away the time telling
stories Of wild adventures, one old fellow
forget his name-asked: Ibid you ever see
a coyote" And at once half dozen cho-
rused Lets have it."
"Well, he said, as he knocked the ashes
from his pipe and filled it from huge twist
of aromatic "long green, =" lit was in 1850. |
had started early in the spring to the land
of gold and glittering generalities, hard
tack and bear meat, with three OK teams
loaded with goods supposed to be suited to
the mining trade, consisting of heavy boots,
miners jackets, dried fruit, tobacco. cigars,
cards and whisky, and was pretty well
loaded. At Forts Kearney and Laramie /
disposed Of some extra weight and at Salt
Lake disposed of a lot of dry goods had
carried along to trade to the Mormon mer-
chants. After laying in a supply of -four at
$25 100 and resting our stock we struck
out over Thousand Springs valley to the
head of Humboldt river, following 1t down
to the Big Meadows where we made hay
for our cattle and took in water prepara-
tory TO crossing the great desert between
the sinks of Hemboldt and Carson rivers.
Finally we are in the midst of trackless
waste and water worth 81 pint. dead mules
and oxen enough to fence a lane clear
across it and a million dollars worth of
outfits scattered all the way, not mouthful
of grub OF any kind except what was in
our wagons and with 10000 coyotes howl
ing and yelping worse than a legion of
devils. The only living things to be seen
were owls, prairie dogs, rattlesnakes and
coyotes
''It was right in the middle Of this wild
barren, sandy desert, surrounded by the
whole coyote family, with one days rations
Of grub and water. that we had to double
teams and leave one of our wagons, while
the others attempted to reach grass and
water on the Carson that Morton and l
were left to guard the last wagon.
After supper, which we were careful
enough to have over before night, the
music and dancing began, The owls
screeched, snakes fratted, prairie dogs
| barked and 10000 coyotes set up their
howl. Nearer and nearer they came
round and round they tlotted-and we
were forced to fee to our wagon for safety
Under and around they trotted. growing,
whining and yelping, every one making
the night more hideous by seeming to make
dozen of himself just to see how much of
pandemonium he could scare up.
What night and still another we must
stay. The first was bad enough but on the
second one the animals returned with rein
forcements. They leaped upon the front of
the wagon, which we bad barricaded the
best we could and we had to fight them
with our pistols and guns, and desperate
| fight it was. First one and then the other
would punch them back. Morton killed
one as it leaped into the front of the wagon
and as it fell back dozen grabbed and de
voured it in less time than / can tell it,
This only made them ten times more fero-
cious and it became fight Of life and death
to both of us. One after another leaped al
us, swapping, snarling and determined tc
have US for a picnic supper. Morton mac
a foot snapped off, l had hand badly
torn and was nearly stripped of clothing
Both our guns were broken and we were
about to yield the fight when daylight
broke up the game They decamped.
bound up Morron's leg with some old rag
and then finished our last ration and sa
down to wait for the returning teams upor
which depended our lives. At 10 O'Clock
they hove in sight and there was more re
joicing in that solitary wagon than | car
tell. We made 1t safe through in due time
Morton finally went to Valparaiso and died
l gathered up hundred thousand and
here | am in way station as ticket agen
on the c. K. G.. & 7. railway.
Boys, it's over forty years since tina
awful night, but l shudder every time
think of it. The cold chills are running
down my back now. Please pass tina
| flask -