Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-07-22

uhueE IHe ledueISulp Oh an ola dog
wolf especially chosen for his wariness,
speed and endurance. To this captain
these gaunt and grizzly marauders
yield an implicit and answering obe-
dience--a statement we'll evidenced
from the fact that if one of these
wolf leaders is slain or crippled his
band at once amalgamates with some
other troop possessing a leader of like
capacity The age or size of their
quarry is of little moment with these
wolves, as they pull down and devour
alike cows, calves, steers, mares colts,
and geldings. Their attack is always
strategical and systematic, one portion
of the band assaulting from the front
and fastening on to shoulder, ear, or
muzzle, and thus giving the big wild
gray dogs who are ever closing in
from the rear the objective opportunity
of hamstringing the victim. Once ham,
strung 1t is all over with the quarry,
and the entire band feasts at leisure.
Mr.. Vincent has often seen on the
Powder river ranges the mere empty
hide and polished bones Of what was
once lusty steer or vigorous gelding
as sad souvenirs of the raid of gray
wolf band. The cattle herds are open
and easy prey to the bold canine band
its, the cattle fleeing from the pursuers
and thus rendering individua. attack
easy and successful. The horses, how
ever, with their superior intelligence,
very frequently beat off the wolves by
forming on the open ground an equine
square with the mares and colts in the
center, the gallant stations on the cor
ners and the best and bravest geldings
distributed on the other lines of de-
fense. Not only do these equine
squares frequently beat off their assail-
ants, but they sometimes rout the wild
dogs entirely, staying numbers of them
by striking, kicking, and trampling.
This is an especial result when the
horse herd has with it stallion ex-
perienced III range life. He can smell
a wolf farther than he can see him,
and at his shrill and warning neigh
the herd rushes together and quickly
forms the protecting square. The
wolves fully appreciate the fact, and
instances have been known of gray
band numbering scores of raiders
trotting leisurely around one of these
embattled equine squares and then
seeking other and easier prey. The
gray wolf reaches a weight Of 125
pounds, and boasts alike brain, Drawn,
a noiseless and tirelss foot, savage
ferocity, and an Unsuitable appetite II
is said of him that he can run longer
and easier eat oftener and more, and
display more cunning and ferocity in
a given length of time than any other
known animal. He is a prolific breed
er, eight or ten pups being not an un-
common litter while there is q Powder
river instance of 35 pups being slain
as tne progeny of three gray wolf
Dams. Up to six months old the gray
wolf pup is awkward and unwieldy,
and it is favorite cowboy pastlme Of
the Powder river ranges to locate
gray wolf litter on the prarie and shoot
the pups from horseback as they
skulkingly roll and tumble from their
coyerts in the grass and sagebrush.
Crack shotg with the pistol have been
known to get a pup with every bullet
from their six-shooters. Antelope are
still very plentiful in the Powder river
region, bands of 400 and 500 being fire.
>.ua14,ly seen.