The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-04-02
Isl Observation-Disclosures
e Tige'S vindiCatiOn !
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stone wall. with a ditch parallel
to it, stretched away from one end
of the sheep pasture. AS we reached
this wall the hound shifted about,
whimpering excitedly.
Joe walked along the ditch, and,
STOPPING, pointed out to me what
looked like large dog track imprinted
in the soft earth. 1t was nearly the
size of panther's track. But when
l suggested that it might be one of
those animals, the hunter disagreed;
panther would kill one sheep and
drag it off. Only a wolf was capa BILE
of destroying an entire flock for the
sake of drinking their blood
Still keeping him chained, we let the
hound guide us along the trail. Half
mile beyond lay cedar swamp, COW
ering about thirty acres Of ground, and
straight to this swamp led the track
we were following.
Upon reaching the edge Of the cover.
Joe halted. He thought it probable
that the wolf was in hiding near by.
If the animal intended another raid
on the sheep folds, this was the most
natural place in which to secrete him.
self until nightfall; if he was ready to
return to the mountains, he would be
likely, after the nights effective work,
to rest during the day In this swamp,
resuming his journey under cover of
darkness.
A wolf would never attempt to ira
verse In daylight the thirty miles Of
farm land which lay between him and
the Adirondack forest.
If the hunter was right in his sur
mise as to the animals hiding place, it
behooved us to form some plan of at
tack.
On the east side Of the swamp two
wood roads used by farmers in draw
ing cedar for their fences led from the
open into the center of the woods.
In Joes opinion, the wolf. if started
by the hound, would leave the thick
cover by one of these two roads.
For a wolf" he explained. 'ain't
like fox or a rabbit, to scuttle along
close to the ground; he's built higher,
and don't want his face slapped by
dead cedar branches any more than we
want our'n."
Joe proposed l should hurry around
the swamp and station myself in one
Of the wood roads; he would wait ten
minutes before letting the hound go on
the scent, and then would himself try
to reach the other road before the
game was started.
/ easily found one of the paths,
which l followed into the woods for
a short distance. In taking my stand
| moved step or two back from the
beaten track, so that, while was my
self concealed, l could look along the
narrow lane formed by the road and
it's walls of dense cedar.
But few minutes had passed aft
er reaching my station when the 81
lence was broken by the hounds bay
ing. The foliage about the dog was
so thick that his voice had d strange.
muffied sound.
The dog could not be more than
forty rods away. IL the wolf had
started and was coming in my direc-
ton, he would reach me almost imme-
diately.
AS | was feeling in my pocket to
know if the cartridges were where
could easily get at them, there was a
slight pattering along the road. and,
peering through the bushes, | saw
tall. grayish animal trotting toward
me.
He was in no hurry, stopping to lis
ten to the hound, and seeming half in
clined to stop and teach the presump-
tuous pursuer a lesson.
Where l stood the cedars were so
thick that ii was impossible for me to
fire. l waited until the animal was
within twenty feet, then, slipping in
to the road, confronted him. My rifle
was at my shoulder, ready to fire.
| supposed he would either halt for
an instant or turn and endeavor TO
escape. In either case | felt confident
of putting a bullet through him; but
the wolf had more courage than gave
him credit for. or else he attempted to
run by me, for. instead of turning, he
charged down the road directly at me.
The peril Of the moment compelled a
hasty aim; the bullet went wide of the
mark, and | had no time to reload be-
fore the wolf was crouching in the
road. almost at my feet
Clubbing the rife, l gave him hard
blow across the head. but his skull
seemed proof against such attacks. Be
fore l could recover from the mo-
mentum of the blow l had struck. the
wolf threw himself against my chest.
NIx foot Slixanad and / manf avar ha ok