Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-06-07
WOLVES AND BULLS.
AN INCIDENT OF AN OVERLAND WIN
TER TRIP IN COLORADO.


on a clear, cold February day." said AL
bert Bragdon, just returned from winter
ing in Colorado. "The wind blew strong
and stiff across the heavy snowfall left
on tho ground after the blizzard storms.
The gulChcs were packed full of snow, and
we turned from the road time and again
TO circle around some large drift. 1 was
the only passenger, and 1 sat beside Hank
Benedict, the overland driver, now reduced
in these railroad days from his high seat
on tho box to the tooling of pair of
horses over the dashboard of blackboard
on star route mail line. We were pro-
tected from cold by heavy overcoats, caps
that pulled down over the ears, mufflers
about the neck and thick fur lined gloves.
An hour after noon we came to little
stage and freighting station whose lead
ing feature was large saloon and small
hotel combined. Here we had chance to
get warm and to cat dinner of fried
beef bacon and coffee, which went not
badly in the hunger that followed our cold
mornings ride.
"Off again in half hour through
country more open, where drifts were the
exception. Hank Benedict had taken a
drink or two at the stage station, and he
was more sociable than he had been dur
ing the mornings drive. He talked of old
overland experiences and then Of the snow
storm, which led to the topic of the plague
of wolves which had come to devour the
ranChmcn's stock.
1--WE heard 'em bowling Whenever
I've been driving after dark for the last
month, said Hank. They're getting sas-
sier and sassier. They've crossed the trail
just in front of me time and again, and 1
expect any time band of 'em may take
n notion to hold me up. There's one of
the numbering brutes now And he
pointed to gray timber wolf sneaking
along parallel to our course $50 yards
away.
" There's Il winchester in the blackboard
behind you that I've taken along with me
every trip since the last snowfall. You
can try shot at him if you want to-.
81 got out of the blackboard and took
the winchester rifle from the bottom, where
it lay wrapped in rubber blanket. 1t
was cold and frosty to handle but was
glad of a chance to stretch my limbs and
try what L could do at long range At
each of my first two shots the animal
lodged and then looked around as if won
dering what was up. The third shot
knocked the Snow about him and quick
ened his pace. L fired two more shots as
he ran, and the sixth time the hammer
fell on an empty barrel. There were no
more cartridges in the magazine.
"There was no more ammunition along,
and put the rifle back with the promise
tn Hank tp IlIy him, a how pf mt, Il nt
Battcnsberg. We would have liked very
much to have the cartridges with us a
few minutes later, when, on turning the
slope of HILL we saws strange and thrill
ing sight. Within rifle shot to one side
seven gray wolves were attacking two
cows one a long horned Texan, the other
a graded heiter almost grown. The cattle
when first we saw them were running
away, but they were quickly overhaulcd.
They turned at bay TO face the wolves and
began fight which must be fought to
finish, with their lives as the stake. The
COWS kept together, wheeling to meet the
wolves with their horns, as an attack was
threatened from one side or the other. The
wolves didn't like the looks of the Texans
horns and the alert way she handled them,
and they devoted their principal attention
to trying to separate the heifer from her.
They worked in concert very cunningly to
do this. While one or two made feints of
attacking lhe old COW, so as to induce her
to chase them, the others kept about the
heifer, three of them drawing her atten-
ton in front, while two kept in her rear
waiting for chance to spring at her gam
brels and hamstringher. But the wary COW
N hn tn,,,,,tnH 20 tI,of
she could not return in time to drive away
the wolves at the heifer's flank before they
began their work. The ultimate chances
of the battle seemed to be against the cat
tie, for the wolves, all the time closing in
upon them, were growing holder and at
tackled more flercely.
But there came timely diversion in
aid of the cattle. A believing from among
some pinon clumps quarter of mile
away was followed by the appearance of
large bull which came running toward the
combatants. He was of the polled Angus
breed, and his hornless head did not seem
quite to meet the case of wolves, but he
was big and full of fight. He put himself
at once in front of the COWS and charged
determinGdly upon the wolves, which fell
back little before him; but, fully aware
that he had no horns to toss them, they
gave no more ground than they had to
and returned to close in about the group
of cattle, still trying to cut out the heifer
which all tho time was their real object of
attack.
so absorbed was in the battle that
did not notice the coming of a fourth COM
Blatant upon the scene until heard Hanks
exclamation:
'Ah, We'll see business begin nowl
There's the fellow that'll scatter EN-
"From the same direction that the bull
had come another bull was coming to the
rescue. He was u wiry animal, less mas
sively built than the polled Angus bull,
and his long, sharp horns projecting well
to the front of his head, showed his Texan
origin. He wasted no time in paving or
believing, but dashed upon three of the
wolves ranged in front of the heifer, and
before they could all get out of the way he
had caught one with his horns and tossed
1t in the air. The wolf came to the ground
upon his back, and before it could turn
the bull was upon it again, thrusting his
horns through the creatures body and
pinning it to the earth. Then with an