The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-20
HUNTING TIE WOLTES.
Exciting Sport i'm the Indian Terri
tory.


A correspondent Of the Atlanta Con
stitution writes as follows from Musco-
gee, l. T.: The fox chase In Georgia Is
great sport. but there Is as great a diff
ference between that and a wolf chase
over the prairies Of the beautiful Indian
Territory, as between a plug race and a
race Of thoroughbreds.
The wolf chase is in sight. You have
both the music Of the hounds and II full
view Of the entire race and It's termi-
nation. The excitement is thrilling.
Your blood tingles and you lose yourself
In the enthusiasm.
The great p~ralries OF the Cherokee Ma
tion. lust south OF the Kansas border,
| are thick with gray wolves. They are the
terror Of the cattle men, M o1er a
standing reward Of $50 for each and every
one killed. They manage TO XIII nun
| dreds Of young cattle annually
Colonel Robert l.. owen, the recently
elected Democratic national committee
man OF this place. has a ranch III the
Cherokee Nation covering an AREA VI
eomethinp over a hundred square miles.
BESIDES thousands Of cattle. he Is a
| breeder Of fine horses, and has a pack
| ~ the finest dogs in the West. They are
-crevbor.nds and the finest strain OF FOX
bornds The foxhounds do the work IN
rrmninp and trailing the wolves, while
the Crews. when it comes TO the slsht
race. do the running.
The ordinary horse is not swift enough
for the chase. but the progressive Olu
zens Of this section have produceu, per
-. .bo g,eatest horse for speed and
o. on the continent. lie is a
ross between the mustang. or lhuldh
horse and the thoroughbred. he mas
tho endurance OF the mustang ana the
speed of the thoroughbred. lhueeu, d
more perfect specimen OF inc ~
horse could not be imagined.
We'll. we were out on the VOL ondee "
couple Of days ago. lhele
INC marty mounted on horses mat hau
ontored MANY previous chases and VINO
onnarentIv love 1t more Intensely than
az riders There were seven greyhounds
I'D a dozen %foxhounds in the pack. Inc
~foxhounds scent about as they 90 al
search of a fox trail; the greys pouhu
about above The grass high IN the ar
Looking for the wolves or jack rabbits
They pay but little attention 10 the nun
dreds of ordinary rabbits. They are ru'
down in a hundred yards by the grey7'
but tho jack rabbit VII give them q
chase Of several miles every time, and
OCGHSlOldllN an bd VIZ
that can outrun any pack
The lack rabbit has ears like a mule.
He is as large as an ordinary dog, with
especially long and muscular nina legs
He rms like the shot out OF a cannon.
Indeed. they run so fast as 10 entahgle
the vision until, as Mark Twain has said,
YOU can see a streak Of jack rabbits a
mile lorg.
We had not ridden 800 yards from the
LafDra a lack T1hnlt
iumped I'D before the pack. His ears laid
hack and he was off like a bird-ten feet
AT a bound. high in the air, like a swiftly
thrown ball that barely touches the earth
10 bound high and far again. The fox-
hounds opened and were off, but they
were not i'm it with the greys for a great
distance. We are off with them. Being
the guest of the occasion l mad been
given, perhaps, the fleetest horse. Though
sailed through the air with the apparent
rapidity Of a cyclone, my animal was not
a match for the lack rabbit or the grey
hounds.
The rabbit had a start and he made a
hoe line TO the west, but the ereys sped
after him like the hawk chasing the spar
row. on, on. they went, one, tWo'thrce
miles over the open prairie almost as
level as a floor through the grass q dozen
inches high. After the third mile the
greys gained at every step. They were Just
warming up to the chase and getting under
full Roadway. They had gotten a quarter
Of a mile ahead of the horses, but in the
pure air of the p~rairies 1t was as plainly
in view as though they were out a nun
dred yards in advance.
At very bound they gained. The first
dog grasped the rabbit by the hind quar-
tiers n threw him high in the air, going
right on His speed was too great to
stop. The second dog nabbed him as he
fell and gave him another twist over in
the atmosphere. The third did likewise,
each going right on. By this time the first
had stopped and turned, and in less time
h it takes to tell ii that jack rabbit
had made it's last chase. The fox hounds
In full cry and the hOrsemen were up in a
few seconds, and the race was over.
A short rest for dogs and horses and we
were off for a wolf this time. A gray
wolf had been spied far out on the prai-
RE ~trotting along like a big dog. The
greys had not caught sight of him.. The
prairie here was slightly rolling, and he
had disappeared behind an elevation. The
fox rounds were soon on his trail. After
an exciting run of a mile or more with the
fox hounds under full cry and the greys
bounding about almost playfully among
them, the wolf appeared above the grass
several hundred yards ahead. The greyS
sighted him, and then the race COM
menced in earnest. For mile after mile
we sped over the prairie. The wolf made
a circle OF fully five miles. the dogs gain
ing slightly every mile. 1 gave my splen-
did horse the reins and spurs. and he
managed to keep well up, the others run
ming but a short distance behind. The de-
light Of the chase was grand.
The sun shone bright and the air was
just crisp enough TO be invigorating.
Every nerve in the body was strung 10
the highest tension. l simply seemed 10
glide through the air without a jar or a
flicker TO the right or left. The big Mexi-
can saddle in which / sat was as com
Portable as a Pullman car seat, and the
noble animal ran as smooth and fast as
a Pennsylvania limited. Apparently he
enjoyed the chase with as much eager
ness TO be in first and with the enthu-
siasm which l felt. and which caused the
blood TO tingle through my veins as
though a galvanic battery was in the
saddle. Mile after mile at this speed we
went. The leading dog had sped fast.
He was well up. Barely ten feet in
tervened between dog and wolf. The
wolf glanced back, and in that glance he
lost the race. The dog was upon him in
an instant.
Grasping his fank he sent the wolf a
complete somersault. but he was up in
-. 80 ..ssI q