The Yale expositor., 1896-03-06
Pursued by Wolves.


Captain Baldwin gave me an account
Of an accident that happened TO him in
May, 1866, says General Miles in the
North American Review.
II was stationed" said he, Eat Fort
Harker, Kan, in command of COM
Fort Harker was located on the ever
land stage route from Fort Riley to
Denver, and after leaving Fort Harker
1t was unsafe for any one to travel in
daylight except with a good escort Of
troops.
ION one of my journeys of inspection
/ stopped within thirty miles from the
fort to have a buffalo hunt and hunted
all day, but at night was obliged to
start back for the pest. left the sta
ton about 4 o'clock in the afternoon in
a light snowstorm, with tolerably
fresh horse that was both strong and
spirited. l was alone and armed only
with a small 36-caliber pistol, depend
ing almost entirely upon my horse to
escape any danger from Indians, not
anticipating danger from any other
source.
II had ridden about ten miles when
1t began to grow dark. My horse TAX
ing an easy trot, I'was rather enjoying
the ride. I had noticed previous to
this time the bowling of wolves, but
had paid very little attention to it. AS
! rode along l noticed that this howl
ing began to get closer, and at length
was aroused from my reverie by the
bark and howl of two or three wolves
very close to me. Looking back, saw
two coyotes and one big prairie or Lobo
wolf following close behind me and
bowling their utmost. This rather
startled the horse, as you may be sure
1t did me. 1 increased my speed, but
still they gained on me and it wasn't
long before their numbers grew to a
dozen or more and the distance between
them and my horse was very much
lessened.
Il began to appreciate the danger and
realized for the first time that had a
weapon with which it was doubtful
whether I could defend myself against
such ravenous beasts as these. re-
called the fact that just before leaving
] had counted the number of rounds of
ammunition had which was just forty
nine.
II had left the stage route, intending
to go to the post by a trail which would
save me something more than five
miles in distance, and as it was dark l
had hopes of gaining one of the stations
along the route, but was obliged to keep
the TRAIL trusting to my mount to take
me out of what had now become a real
danger. The wolves kept gaining on
me until they had got within a very
short distance before / fired the first
shot at them, which fortunately dis
abled one OF their number to the extent
that blood ran from him and they be-
gan to howl, whereupon the whole pack
turned upon him and tore him to pieces.
This gave me little start Of 100 or 200
yards before they commenced follow
ing again. I fred every shot with the
greatest care, and 1t was seldom tnat
missed disabling or killing che Of
them.
Afraid of firing my horse at the
start, rode very carefully. The num-
Der of the wolves increased until there
were not less than from fifty to seventy
five of them, and they followed me for
at least twenty miles, cutting my horse
in the rear and tanks, often getting al
most in his front, enabling me to shoot
from right to left, firing when the ami
mails were not four feet distant from
me. Fortunately ! ran through large