The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-17

Bus Sometimes Meet Their Mntch
in Texas Steers-A Desperate Bat
tie in the snow-Change In the
Wolrs Habits.
From she New York Sun.
Strange 10 say, while the buffalo has
been wiped or tie face OF the continent
and the antelope is found now but rarely,
the gray wolves have increased In number
upon the plains" said f. e. Archer of
Denver. THE building of railroads in al
directions, with towns and cities ON their
lines, and the occupying of every available
stream, valley and water hole by rancn-
men have had the effect upon the wolf TO
make him more cunning aud bold lie
IS near enough to the dog in his nature to
adapt himself to the presence Of humanity.
and he shows the same sagacity in plum
dering that the dog does In serving man
kind. In the old days the wolf followed
The buffalo herds ia their nigra tons ana
Kept near them wherever they went. No
number of wolves would venture 10 attack
so much as a buffa.o calf while It was
with the others, for the buffaloes travelled
like an army, with the bulls in front ana
lSat ana hanks ever ready to defend The
cows ana calves against the attack of any
ming but man. Il was for the stragglers
Hlsabied puma. oes which fell out of the
herd-that wolves lurked and waited. In
Tue winter, when pressed by hunger. A
pack Of wolves would muster courage 10
attack and pull down one of the solitary
o4d bulls that IN their declining wears had
peen outfought and driven from the herd
pN the younger ones; but as a rule the
wolf preferred to dine off carbon or 20
sood while hungry, 10 rsking his skin
ior fresh meal
1t was yeIrs after the etoclxmen had
frks
before the wolves began to make serious
ishroaas on the stock. BY degrees they
taste as buffalo meat that a cow was
easily pulled down and killed, and that
cattle, scattered in little punches over
a wide range, did not organize 10 pro-
tect one another as the buffaloes used 10
do in their great heards. From killing
calves and cows the wolves came to the
tackling or bulls and steers, so that now
over wide tracts OF country there Is no
safety for any cattle on the ranges, eX-
cept on ranches which are constantly pa
lrOlled by range-herders with firearms
who take n shot al every wolf that shows
hos head within shooting distance. The
slaughter of wolves Is not great by this
method, but the cunning beasts realize
what the whizzing of bullet signifies,
and il makes them fight shy of the To-
CAVITY To set trap or poisoned bait
for wolves Is not of much use for thew
pass Il by where they can Kill their own
meat so easily Moreover, many OF the
wolves have become blood drinkers, and
of the flesh but suck the blood from The
carcass and so 10 the slaughter "a more
cattle HUNS on grand scale intended
TO drive the wolves into a common CEN
ter have repeatedly been organized, but
the results have been trhlng, the wolves
inclosed slipping away between the hunt
ers long before the lines draw closely to-
gether Attempts TO hunt them with
hounds have proved destructive to the
dogs, with few casualties to the wolves.
commonly the wolves make their at
tacks in packs Of from three to ten or
twelve in number In killing o cow or
steer thot offers fight their mode Of At
tack Is always the same. While two or
more wolves engage the creatures atten-
ton in front wolf stealing up behind
makes a leap end snap at the animals
hind leg, just above the gamhril for the
purpose of ham-stringing Il. If the pack
numbers as many as FIVE or six, two
wolves Will often spring together, each al
IS like a knife stroke, and the first leap
often sewers the ftendon. IL not the OF
tacks are repeated until successful. when
che victim sinks helpless TO the ground
to be pounced on by the whole pack.
every wolf tearing at the throat or some
other part where the arteries lie near
the surface, and snarliug and swapping
al any Of the others who crowd too closely
'Tt is the finer cattle the thoroughbreds
and graded stock, that suffer most from
hardy aud active than the native stock = nd
less accustomed 20 rough and tumble fight
x. steer
who has hustled for himself and kept his
end up = q fighter With ANYTHING that
came against him from the day he was
weaned Is no picnic. even when alone for
eral Of his fellows the wolves had better
go away and hunt dinner elsewhere, for
the Texans, who fight cheerfuly among
themselves when nothing else Is going on
pool their issues and stand back TO back
against ali 'yaImints' and take on gray
wolves mountain lions or grizzly bears rs
would
when they or the COWS and calves are
threatened. The native cattle are not so
numerous north Of the Arkansas river s.
they were in The early days when great
herds of pilgrims were driven yearly from
Texas to stock the ranges of the North
western territories. but they are by no
means extinct and. unless some means is
found 10 check the ravages of wolves they
may yet prove to be the most profitable
stock to rear.
"A friend Of mine who had cattle
ranch at Shiyely Springs, in Dakota. about
100 miles north Of Yankton, saw a battle
royal between five Texas steers and seven
wolves. Ii was in February, lust a fter
a blizzard. and there was two feet OF
snow on the ground on level. With the
They had been running south before the
storm. and. coming to a little knoll blown
bare by the wind had an lain down TO
rest, They were so stiil that the ranch
man had 10 ride near them TO satisfy him
self that they were not dead Finding
that none of his own stock was Ia the
bunch be rode. away. He had gone a
mile when. looking back. * saw seven
gray wolves that had come out of the head
of canyon near bv and were making to-
ward the catte. With his field-glass he
could Res an excellent view OF the wolves
and follow closely ali their movements
They were having hard time to make
their way through the snow, sinking IN Ii
10 their bellies 81 every jump, but they
kept on until they were within few yards
of the bare spot where the cattle were
lying, when they all drew together and
made survey Of the held, then started
on widening out into lire as they did So
up % ms hi ,ln1s none 81 me cattle had
steer rose to their feet and faced The
wolves shaking their horns, and some OF
the others were getting up as the wolves
struck the bare spot.
Three OF The wolves Jumped III front OF