The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-23
THE COYOTES OF THE WEST.

a shade on the stubble, . ghost by the
Now Iesping, now iimping. now rislSing
Lop-eared and iarge-jointed. but ever
Away
\ thoroughbred vagabond outcazt in
gray.
Ne is characteristic OF The plains and
| foothills Of the arid region N the ,utf1-
vest writes H T. Griswold Every one
knows him, and his name Is the synonym
| Of all that is mean and Geceitful and
| sneaking in nature. To call = riai7srng,1
CT cowboy o coyote is an enllhet THAI
is Vigorously resented. some times b.-- pis-
tol-balls. Indian forciore abounds IL le-
gends OF the wariness and sagacit1 OF
the coyote and among the Apachss AMI
| Pimas the folklore ranks the coyote the
butt Of the brute creation. The coyote
Is usually very lean, has long. 6ushy
/ slender and snouJ tail and looks very
| much like a Wolf. 10 which family. IN
tact. he belongs. His fur is lighter col
| cred III winter than in summer. being
/ IL the former season grizzly gray. with
! black streaAs on the back. hips and
| shoulders, and tawny ones along the
ilegs. The under side OF the body is
dingy white.
The coyotes vocal talents are his first
had the least experience on the plains
| OF the southwest has heard it. he never
! raises his voice between sunrise and sun
set The Indians can him a ventrii0quist.
! for hs can SO place his voice thst even
the oldest piainsman cannot ten whether
the howl come from the east west. north
! or south Truly. there can he no sound
SO weird, startling and battling as that
7 from the throat OF one OF these healthy
and hungry bTuteS. Il is an indescrib-
! bic medley of vail. shrek, bark. whine.
/ and groan. and the rapidity of the sounds
and the glibuess Of the altercations in key
! ere well nigh incredible. His howl cannot
i in any way be compared with the long
rasping cry of the wolf. or the bronchial
! cry Of the dog. Then. too. no other
/ animal. IN this country at least, can be
/ heard so far.
FL wen remember" said Col. T. p.
I Brooks to the writer the other day. -the
| first time I heard q coyote howl. 1t
was in the Apache campaign in 1870. We
We're bivounciled on an alkGH plain. and
/ almost within sight Of q camp u 2001
bloodthirty Apaches in Arizona I was
out for a stroll in the dark smoking p
cigar. and wondering what the outcome
Of the fight the next morning would be.
| Suddenly there came from about so Yards
back of me. although il seemed much
nearer, q succe ssion of the most awful
shrieks, banks. bowls and cries. I stood
trans6xed. The sounds came thick and
fast and finally ended I'm a long howl.
the most dismal have ever heard. Then
the noise stopped. but before I could
recover breath il began in the same way
as before. only it seemed as if a chorus
OF Apache fends were lamenting the in
vasiou of the haunts by the white man.
I would have wagered anything that old
Geronimo and several hundred ~ his
HI
Yelling in hcndish, savage delight. l
started and was on the run for the
guard house 70 turn out the guard and
arouse the garrison when a Ting ing who
comes there" warned me that ] was ap-
Troachinc a sentinel After I had been
duly advanced. this friend proved to be
an old soldier friend. II occurred TO me .
it would do no harm to see If he knew
what the horrible noise was. especially as .
he seemed totally un6isturbed by e.
Jones. did YOU hear that yelling
across the parade?
Yes. sir.
Here ] thought I saw the beginning
of q grin at the corners Of his mouth.
and IN consequence became very Gigni-
fed
What was it. Jones?'
'Nothin' bat coyotes, sir
3" But. Jones. If that noise was made
~ coyotes there must 10 have heen a
thousand. and surely ] would have seen
some of them. even in the dark.
Excuse me sir saw them plain,
and there We're but two
Then L came 10 me that I had heard
the older army officers tell OF the Won
derful powers of venuiloquism CT the
coyote. I had 10 keep that soldier IN to-
hacco all that campaign 20 be sure he
never told the army his coyote story on
the latest tenderfoot lieutenant
The coyote Is "a joker and artful dOdger
along with all the rest of his talents The
ranchmen tell how at times hc was
caused them 10 go miles IN pursuit by an
artful change in his voice. while the ami
nal would meanwhile slip 10 the POULTRY ,
house and snatch a tat hen. Ous-timo
hunters never give heed 20 the bowls Of
coyotes al night, because they know from
unhappy experiences how easily they may
be led fools errand BY sly old coyote. {
who would draw the hunters away from
the camp and then adTOitly hasten there
and make off with a toothsome chunk :
The coyote knows how 10 employ decor :
and many a ranchman or settler tells /
oil times that he has been allured out g.
10 shoot a peculiarly noisy coyote. who (
rot only escaped but permitted another
COYOTE to get fowl from the r0ost dur G
ing the chase. 6
The coyote IS wag also. and. like 4
most ways. he is timid. Some people .
1ho do not know him call him q sneak 8
ng coward. That IS one reason why ne is
10 unwfselv and generally despisei. But
he COYOTE is sensible enough 10 know n
hat he is no match with his scant thirty 2
,ounds and without claws and heavy s.
avs. against a man or big beasts. lie g
must use article To earn his livelihood. s.
ma Dee can only escape destructicr hF- d
inviting mankind. 3faul generations
" contact with men has made him a re- 81
rark3hie beast b
Curiosity IS a prominent Characteristic
Z the COYOTE. Monkeys and chipauzees
lave the same marked trait The cow Is
oys soldiers. miners ard hunters on the n
roauer on ter Of rhe uncontronable q
uriosIty Of the coyote. "a
Among RE enlv bits 81 humor $50 TIRE f
ou.ore m tho Indians ~ the Southwest q
story about Is great spirit coyote 81
mt ihe coyote was already 70 ff3i ~ IF
oCd that il would e8t 70 more Toe fun .,
iu The fact that nc living coyote ever p
feiincd - eat The coyote seems % =
ave 81 creed that he musr MOI even
1ns ~ having had enough % eat Fifs u
lain object i1 llfa seems ~ De The safi--
action ~ an abnormal appetite. .nd ta
a.s end be streets ABB The cunning ana re-
ldae.rs- m h.s usture In Che cas- ume th
O. Sinks ~ o. some retired cave ~ m
-pse % t and sleeps brig III neh- GA
hlrh CONSISTS - ilfe r-
-e Oral ~ rhe e-rt' meats The remains
trr haufr-s ~ crrrer srrrer ar
fIrr ~ re when re e r l-
11T1 - follow rri- tar na-F rifles i.t
nrel.l ar fl1-lr. ~ aarr OH
stake rs 81 irs 'ataF Or H
-tu atr teat ana make c1 vtn aa