The Philipsburg mail., 1899-11-24


nearly twice that distance in a day
when it is necessary.
He is always ready to take to the
saddle. He rides into the section where
wolves are reported to be killing young
stock and moves along until a wolf
is sighted. He carries powerful field
glass, and is constantly sweeping the
surrounding plains with it. In this
way he frequently sees the wolves be-
fore they see him. If the game is off
and away, Watson simply notes care.
fully the general direction taken; then
he swings his pack around behind a
hill, drops out of sight, ,only to reappear
ahead of the game, on which he rides
with a rush.
Then the dogs take up the chase. The
wolf seldom holds out for more than
mile. Sometimes particularly strong
animal manages to run two miles be-
fore the hounds overtake him. The
pack works together. If the dogs did
not they would not last long, as the
average gray wolf can kill in relays
any pack of hounds that ever attacked
him. But when Watson's trained pack
jumps on a wolf, that is the last of
him. They fight together, and seldom
get more than a scratch. The dogs
follow the wolf closely and attack him
all together, and such fight lasts or
dinarily but few minutes. On these
wolf hunts the wolf slayer is armed
with nothing but large revolver. He
has several times been forced to use
this weapon in self-defense, for, while
wolves, not pressed, will never attack
a man occasionally hard-pressed wolf
will turn on his pursuers and make
most desperate fight.
This was the case few days ago in
Box Butte county, where Watson was
engaged in exterminating a number of
big wolves which had killed some
young stock The pack had started a
wolf and was far in advance of their
master, when suddenly a huge wolf,
which had evidently been asleep in the
rank underbrush until disturbed by the
wolf hunters horse, sprang upon Wat
son. The animal buried it's claws in
the side of the horse and his fangs in
the riders leg. 1t was a very large
wolf, and the suddenness of the at
tack gave the beast distinct advan-
tage.
The attack was made from the right
side, and the only weapon the wolf
hunter carried was beneath the body
of the ferocious brute. Watson struck
the animal repeatedly across the snout
with his quirt. Then he thrust his
hand down under the growing beast
to secure his pistol. Instantly his arm
was seized by the animal and the flesh
torn from the wrist. Watson reached
over and grabbed his gun with his left
hand. The wolf still had the hunters
right arm between his teeth and was
chewing it very industriously. Watson
retained his presence of mind and fired
into the beast.
At the time Watson's horse was
rearing and plunging over the prairie
and screaming in agony. This maze
the riders aim uncertain. Four times
he fired at the wolf, and had but one
shell left in his gun. Blood was
streaming from the hunters arm, and
lSB, luC AOl Do was SoNCICu Will DlOOu,
and the wolf was bleeding profusely.
With an effort the wolf slayer thrust
his revolver into the mouth of the
furious beast, and at the risk of blow
ing off his own hand, fired the remain
ing shell into the struggling target
The VOLTS head was blown off and the
body dropped to the prairie.
Weak from loss of blood, Watson
climbed down, tied up his wounds, and
throwing the animal across the horse,
started for home, fifteen miles away. |