The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-17
COYOTES THAT FOUGHT,
A Texas Rangers Encounter with Five
of the Beasts and an Outlaw.


The coyote of the Texas range is not
always the coWardly and sneaking
thleving animal that he has been Bic
tured. There are times when he be-
comes vicious and does not hesitate to
attack man or beast. Instances are
known to the old plainsmen of Texas
when coyotes, singly and in droves.
nave attacked COW and sheep camps
ana fought cowboys and sheep herders,
~ was only a few days ago that a
! grove OF coyotes, maddened with hun
ger, made an attack on the people Of
tne little town of Carrizo Springs, in
| Dlmmit county, in daylight. A number
| or people We're bitten, and it was fear
| ed Tor time that the coyotes were
suffering from rabies.
mad an experience with a drove
OF coyotes while serving as a Texas
ranger that l will not soon forget"
SAID Captain Henry Tovey, an old
Texan, now living in this city Il was
with my company in camp on the Pc
cos river, not far from old Fort Stock
ton, IN the winter of 1873. We had
peen on the trail of Four Finger Ras-
set, desperate, who had held up a
stage and robbed the United States
mail and number of passengers near
tainted Cave. 1t was decided that [
should remain in charge of the camp
While the remainder of the company
secuted the country thereab bouts There
was piercing norther blowing, and I
built small fire. ! was armed with
my pistol and dirk knife. both Of
which dangled from my belt. | had
hardly reached the bottom of the gull
~ When L came upon a lair of cuy-
otes There were five in the bunch,
and l did not pay much attention to
them until one of them ran up to my
side and took nip with his teeth at
my riding boots.
" That's a pretty bold COYOTE, T
thought.
Il had seen thousands of the var
minis on the plains and never had
any respect for their courage up to
mat time. l started to pick up pieces
OF fire wood, not caring to fire nv lis
tol at the animals for fear attracting
the attention of Rasset if he should
happen to be Whereabouts But the
holiness of the coyotes increased, and
the hVe surrounded me and soon were
hoWllng and snarling in the most
threatening manner
backed away from them in an eff
tort to reach my camp. The animals
1olloWed, and as I turned to climb up
the cliff the foremost made a spring
Tor my throat. l saw shim coming in
time to grab him by his own throat
with my right hand and before he
could bite or claw me | had out nv
knife and cut his windpipe in two. Be.
lore l could draw my pistol the other
coyotes were piling at me and taking
piece of flesh out of my body at ev-
cry grab of their sharp teeth | had
my back against the side of the rocky
wall of the cliff, and this was all that
saved me. | had given up all hope
or coming out of the encounter alive
when l heard the sharp ping of rifle
bullet. Then came more reports in
quick succession and all four of the
coyotes We're writing at my feet.
without looking around to see whence
came the shots l drew my pistol and
fired a bullet into the head of each an
lmal. l. then turned and looked I'D
the arroyo and | saw standing about
so yards from me the figure of Four
Finger Rasset.
Wen, pardner, you had a narrow
escape from the varmints, didn't you?
l hope l didn't hit YOU he said.
With this greeting Four Finger
walked up to me and gave me a crit
lcal inspection. | thought certain that
l was out of the frying pan and in
the fire, that Four Finger wouId nut
a bullet into my own head upon dis
covering that I was member of the
Texas ranger company on his trail.
Your names Tovey, amt it?' he
said, extending his hand. My name
is Rasset-usually called Four Finger
Rasset-and l hope you are glad to
see me. You've been looking for me
right peart for several days
Il was a pretty nervy man in those
days and it took a heap of close shaves
to get me upset, but / was knocked off
my pins by this unexpected meeting