The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1900-04-27
JOHNS LONE COYOTE.
ny ERNEST m,aAFFEr.

I'M HIS wandernss about the pnirtes
LIN John had come across great many
curious things, and among them he counted
the wise coyote The first one no
saw be, took for dog, but q Eilo
closer inspection convinced him that
It WINS a wolf. II was about as big
asa setter dog and gray in color, with darker
strcaks on its back. lts ears were raised,
and its bushy tail tniled down behind like
a fox's. Its shary nose and wary look also
had somcth hing foxy to Johns notion, and
II slipped away through the grass as easily
and silently as Reyuard himself could have
done. Il was Just at the edge OF the road,
and John had no weapon with him. The
beast was not more than 80 yards nway and
tho boy could have shot him with nile.
Indeed. shotgun loaded with buckshot
would have been effective when the wolf
first put III an appearance.
After that first time John had good
many experiences with the coyotes. They
were the wiliest animals he had ever known.
His uncle offered HIM tive dollars for dead
coyote, and he wasted many hours and days
in the effort to get one. lie talked with Fer.
ris SatterLee about IT. and the two boys aid
all sorts Of schemes to circumvent the
wolves. There were plenty OF them IN the
country. Riding about the prairies in the
daytime YOU would sc one of them every
once in awhile. They seemed to know when
anyone was stirring and usually kept well
out Of gunshot, even OF rifle. They had
dens in the river bottom, and holes in the
knobs on the prairie but for the most part
they were wanderers, drifting about the
country and earning precarious living on
rabbits, wild fowl. prairie chickens, field
,,ra,,pt rHynb.ara and almost
anything eatabie.
Al night they made the prairie hideous
with their concerts, especially on the moon
light nights. They would corgregate on
some big knoll, three or four OF them, and
howl for hours Mt time. 1t got TO be very
nonotouous after awhile To the northwest:
Of the farm toward the river was farorte
spot Of theirs, and there they would gather
and serenade the scattered neiShhors. Their
closing salute would he a long howl, mourn.
fui and ighpitched, and the prelude wnsa
series Of short, choppy harks. They seemed
to be pleased with the sound OF their own
voices, for they would keep up this bowling
and barking with perseverance worthy OF
a better cause. Sometimes they would get
tangled up in medley OF howls and barks,
and the result was worse than dozen cats
on back fence. These concerts interested
the boy very much, and he used to lie on.
on hsystack near the barn on nights when
the moon was up to listen to the prairie
music The prairies on such nights would
seem like a vast sea with the night winds
sweeping across, and the stars and moon
were million miles AWAY. On the distant
knob the coyotes would assemble, perfectly
secure from interruption, and select some
thing from their repertoireS. Then the head
coyote would stick up his nose and lie; out
job ntoibarks that hoa;edover the grasses in
snappy s,accato. When this was finished he
would follow it up with long, shrill and
mournfu howl. Then another and another
would contribute o the entertainment m
til the whole prairie seemed to be filed with
the yowlngs and barkingsof the band.
John could not see them from where he
Jay, but he knew there was just enough dog
In them TO elevate their noses when they
howied. Indeed. the canine qualities were
marked in the coyote, for they would play
with the dogs sometimes, and II was said
they would do this gently unit! they had
lured dog away from safety, when they
would turn on him and tear him to pieces,
One Of the neighboz had tame coyote.
which was pet, and would come IN the
house and be as sociable as dog 10 those
lk knew. It was only about third grown,
and tame a. it was. had furtive look, as
much as 10 say: I'm q wolf, al right; this
is tust playing dog" But j, was true that
the wild wolves of the prairie really took an
lnteres. in the more peaceable dogs belong.
ina 70 the far1ners, and occasionally made
advances in the line OF prospective &C.
ouain:anoe. much as a new boy will seek
70 extend his lis. Of friends when be eomes
In n strange neigiborhood,
Then the boys tried traps, Ferris had
lot Of steel trnp., and these were scattered
over the bottom with bats Of various kinds
TO attract the wolves. They covered the
chain attached 10 the trap with earth. and
at the end OF the chain they had heavy
dra9 made of a short log Of wood They
used gloves in handling the traps and In
setting and batting the traps But they
didn't ge. any coyotes. A'ons the timber's
sdee they caught couple OF racco1ns, and
that wai an. Sometimes the traps were
.prups and the bait gone, but never so
much as hair from bowler" They gave
credenee 10 the stores that
Aid The COYOTES took stick 10 their mouths
md sprung the traps. afterward eating the
bait a. their leisure. Many and many
lime they went along the line OF traps on4y
10 End bait gone, trap upset. ground dis-
urbed and not 20 much as note OF regret
rom the prowling disturbep. Il was very
rexatious and reflected on their skill a.
hunters. But they perSsvered unH! they
sAd Is traps out for three weeks and then
hey got tired Of feeding the coyotes. Uncle
Tom said they were too elaborate IN their
,ood work. He gold them 70 fling the bait