The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-07

ttIAI HEN we fired our volley Of
Wv buckshOt a while ago at a little
TOM tit, 1 was thinking of a
week I once spent in New Mexico. near
the headwaters of the Pecos river said
the hunter who was tramping the Kan
kakee marshes for snipe ard marsh
birds. That was only two years ago.
and ] have every reason 10 believe that
the same conditions still hold good
when you start out on a sporting
trip there you never know just what
you're hunting until you meet your
game. / may be bear, it may be ante
lOpe. or deer. or panther. or it may be
rattlesnaAeg and 1ndiaEs- The week I
spent out there came near including an
of them.
Il was spending some time looking
over the country on the upper PecoS-
One day I expressed a desire 10 go out
on a weeks hunting trip, and the su-
perintendert of the ranch detailed two
vaquerOs to go with me.
we set out one morning and trav-
eled all day up into the mountains
without seeing a thing bigger than a
ground squirrel, and 1 was beginning
TO think there wasn't much game IL
the country.
THAT night we camped beside a pool
in a dry creek bed, and I went TO sleep
in my blanket Just what woke me |
don't know, but I remember dreaming
that I heard the walls of the lost souls
from the bOttomless pit. / awoke grad
uaIly, and even then the long. agoniz-
ing yells contiruel. Then l sat up
with a start. fully awake.
The fire was pretty low. but both
Indians, Juan and Leon. were alter
nately piling on more brush and blow
ing the Goals with nervous haste IN
usual to the Indian temperament. The
horses had been tethered close by US to
a tree. and row they were plunSing and
neighing and Juggling at their halters
in a frenZied panic.
"At first 1 thought il was the neigh
ing and efforts of the horses to free
themselves that had awakened me, but
suddenly, above the noise. came the
same unearthly racket that ] had taken
for the walls of lost souls in my dreams
"a tremendous chorus that rose and
fell like the cries of mob
L jumped TO my feet. and my body
was covered with goosehesh. The whole
camp was circled by wolves. and as my
ewes got used to the dark 1 could see
them daring each other 10 rush in
now saw why the two vaqueros We're
working so frantically at the fire.
suddenly there was a wild scream
from one of the horses and miXup OF
! fierce snarl. A husky wolf had fast
ened himself to my horses hindquar-
tiers.
Leon and Juan jumped up and be-
gan blazing away with their six-shoot-
ers. Fortunately the fire leaped NJ
good just then and we could distinctly
see the horses and the snarlinS wolves
about them. The fire and the shooting
! drove the wolves off again.
1.-The brush was burning brisNly by
| this time but there was no more Tue
1 that would burn on our side OF the
! wolves. 1t was about fifty yards tc
where the dried brush was. up the river
| bank But those two indians proved
worthy of their race
Leon picked up a blazing brand ant
made a dash up the bank. Juan pelting
along Just after and firing two six
| shooters in every direction. The wolve:
| scattered like chickens. and they
! reached the brush in safety. Then
/ while Leon held the blazing brush ~
| before him and danced and whooped
| Juan built another fire, which wa:
! cracking briskly within a few min
Utes
| Meanwhile I was tending the CAM
/ fire. and lust as x was dying 0ot agah
| Leon came Down with an armfui o.
/ fuel. Then we tethered the horses be
/ tween two fires and kept them DotI
/ blazing. The wolves drew OFF and VIZ
| could only locate them by their hoWli
and snarls and an occasional gleam O.
eyes, but they were not near enough
/ to worry US.
Now, you might think our trouble:
were over Their. That's what we
| thought but we made 4 big mistake
/ Even the two Indians couldn't forese'
what would happen before morning.
/ We'll. we took turns at sleeping anS
! feeding the fires. 1t was my turn las
and Leon had called me. BY the star.
/ judged 1t 10 be about ( o'clock II
! the morning
Leon was just curling up in tn
! blankets when an unearthly row broki
cut where we knew the wolves to be
! They no longer howled but each indi
/ vidual member Of the pack seemed L,
i turn himself loose into snarls. w
| could also hear grunts, and pebbles
and rocks We're being kicked about a
though an elephant were trying 10 tea
! up the creek bed.
Leon. ! said. I naturally can
help turning loose a few rounds int
that meeting, just 10 contribute oul
little mite to the excitement
Leon let out a grunt Of indifference
| I picked up my revolver. and. point
ing it toward where 1 thought TIT
thickest Of the row TO be. ! begaI
/ pumping cartridge
I Ill I