The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1894-08-27
A KINGS LAST BATTLE.
How a BufEalo's Life Was Sacrificed to O
Pack of Wolves.

"ONAN AAC4II ONtL tIt IIdSt ~ III SoulA,
and after listening for awhile three or
four of US took our guns and started out
to investigate. On the far side Of the
ridge a thicket thrust itself down into the
open from the east like a tongue, and at
the OutermOst end Of this thicket, and
using it to protect his rear from assault,
was a buffalo bull. IN q semicircle in
front Of him sat eight large mountain
wolves. For q year the bull had been
skulking and hiding from the sight CT
man-thc last Of untold thousands if not
Of all the herds which once roamed the
prairics and left trails 1000 miles long as
they shifted from north to south. In the
cover of the thickcts he had escaped the
eye Of man, and when the wild beasts had
tracked him down he had fought them
off. On this night he had come out Of his
lurking place when our camp grew quiet
to satisfy his hunger on the rich green
grass, but the camp had attracted the
wolves, and they had encountered him in
the open. He could not hop" to outstrip
them in flight, but he would fight them
off or die fighting.
AS we sat down on the crest Of the ridge
the moon cast our shadows almost at the
feet of the combatants. The buffalo rails
ed his head and stared full at us, and the
wolves shifted about u~ncasily till they saW
we had come as spectators. Then they be
gan worrying him again. 1t was thclr
grOWls as they lcapcd in and out and teint-
ed and lodged which had reached our ears
in camp. They separated to worry him
four on n side. In q minute we could seq
tina their object was to annoy and pro-
voke him until his anger forced him to
make Il charge. Then they would COM
plcto their circle, and he would be doom
ed. 1t was not his first battle with wolves.
Since fleeing from the sight of man he had
learned strategy. He held his massive
head ready to strike the sharp horns to
the right or left, but he did not tire him
self with useless efforts. For 10 minutes
he seemed to give them no attention, but
then, as one beast, bOldcr than the rest,
ran in, he was caught on the horns and
tossed high in the air and fell to the
ground to raw away and lay whining
and complaining. The others gathered
together as if for consultation, and then
the seven rushed together for the bulls
hind feet. They were clear Of his horns
and fore feet, and 10 dOUbt he received
several bites before he moved. He wheeled
as if on a pivot, rolled two or three Of his
assailants over and over on the grass, and
III ~ SECONDS ltitl ItSuIIlCu MS lOEllltf pO-
sitiOn. One of the wolves was killed out
right, and another crawlcd out Of the
fight with broken bones. The battle had
not been on over a quarter of an hour,
and yet the bull had reduced the number
of his assailants to five.
Thu five wolves began their worrying
tactics again, but they had met their
match. They simply wore themselves out
while the bull remained fresh. When they
would draw away for a moment, he WOUl
look up at us in a defiant way, as if Cx-
pccting that we had come as assailants,
but now that his blood was up he dctied
us. BY and by five fresh wolves came
galloping dow along the edge of the
thiCkct. They had not been by
any signal that we had heard, but had
probably heard and scented the battle
from afar off. The worrying began again,
but there was fcrOcity in it now. They
leaped at his head, his shoulders, his
launches and feet. He caught them on
his horns and tossed them aside, and he
rolled them over as he struck with his
hOOfs, and once more he fought them to a
standstill. Shoot him down? No! If
die he must, let him die fighting. Drive
away the wolves? OF what use when they
nave tasted his blood and would track him
to his covert?
"A Illt NtlNtS NIOp uCN 10 pallU dIIu
lOll for II moment we see more fire COne
into the bulls eyes, and he paws the earth
and uttcrS Il rumble like distant hunder
The remembrance of loo fights, when he
led a herd, comes back to him and outs
courage in his heart. He fears neither
man nor wolf. He bellows d menace at us,
and he shakes his head at them as bidding
them come on. Now they play him a
trick. Half Of them trot away to the
right and the other half to the left, and
for a minute he believes they have given
up the fight. Then both packs suddenly
turn and rush upon him at full gallop.
They bite him in n score of places. They
leap over his back. They seize his shaggy
coat and pull and worry. With loud bel
lows of rage and pain, be Uses horns and
hoofs in defense, and for five minutes he
makes a gallant fight. Then despai~ud-
denly comes to his heart and he would
run away. He makes a rush, clearing a
path with his horns, but he has not gone
30 feet when the muscles Of his hind legs
are bitten through, and he tOttcrs and
falls. 1t is the end. In II quarter of an
hour his bones will be picked clean. A
bullet would have brought a more mcrci-
full death, but he could have made no fight
for his life. He had been king OF the
herd. Let him die as a king.
NJ. QUAD.