Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-30

with a shaly. restless motion. A mile
away I could hear their low. mournful
believing. I worked around to the lee
side. and kept edging in closer, and the
light was getting brighter all the time.
lust as the sun shot up over the valley /
saw the long. gsunt. shaggy mother wolf
slipping like a shadow along a dry water
course.
The Race is On.
Jerusalem! I turned Lee loose and I
tell YOU when I do nobody gets ahead OF
me. Ny four dogs knew I'd sighted game
for they'd run ahead like mad and stand
up on their hind legs to look. Then they'd
iump into the air and whine softly. I'd
forbidden them 70 bay. The wolf was
carving the hind quarters of a calf and
did not sight me until I was within a
thousand yards. When she did she dropped
the meal she had intended for her wheips
and few for her life. She gained nearly
half a mile in the first burst Of her speed.
but knew the wolves saw her swerve.
Away to the other side Of the valley 1 saw
blue gulch. There you go, you devil
said l. and pulled across the angle. Then
the Kentucky in Lee began TO come out
Mats of buffalo grass ran together like a
smooth CARPET under my feet. and the
sparce July blossoms swept by like stars,
Dry arroyos did not check him. He jumped
over prairie dog holes. careful and clean,
and he gained, gained. We were almost
near enough for the dogs to sight her when
the wolf dropped behind little ridge and
we ran almost neck and neck 10 the mouth
of the guleh. She beat us 200 yards, and
the dogs had not seen her.
IT did not look for the end so soon,
but Just around the first bend 1 saw one
last awkward puppy flying to cover. Down
into the mouth of a hidden den he plunged,
and knew the mother was there with her
frightened young, / dismounted, and three
of my dogs lay down in the shade Of the
| rocks, but took Fanny. my bravest stag
hound, and approached the den. There lay
the bones Of twenty calves gnawed and
denied Hundreds more lay along the bed
Of the gulch. That den had been a strong
hold for 100 years, safe between the toes
OF the Rockies.
Fanny gave one look into my eyes and
plunged into the dark hole. heard one
unearthly yell of rage and out she came.
and close behind her the wolf. bristles up,
desperate. nerved unto death. But her
| courage failed when she saw me and be-
| fore the hound could turn she bolted for
| the open. I gave one yell My three dogs
| in the shade sprang up and at last their
| eyes were fastened on the prey. The rocky
glen roared and beloved to the fierce
canine shouting. 1 mounted and rode after
them. There was a battle royal on the
prairie when 1 shot out of the gulch. The
| grayhounds had overtaken the wolf and the
| staghounds were almost upon her. Lord,
! how my blood boiled! l couldn't let them
! fight it out. had to have a hand in the
game.
II never use a gun. 1 jerked my heavy
| wolf club from the pommel Of the saddle
and sprang in among my dogs. The wolf
! was a monster. larger than any dog had.
Fangs and claws and eyes were glittering
all around me. Then is the time when
| ffty-six years weigh on me like feather.
| I'm like a savage In those few moments
| like those first men who sprang out OF
their caves to battle with the prehistoric
bears
"Ah, can scarcely remember 1t after
ward. 1 had her foreleg in my left hand
my right foot on her neck. and plug my
club came down. That was ALL / carries
| my prize to the ranch and there met Ash
brook, just in from Marsland with four
teen dogs. We caught the male wolf next
morning and within a few days the great
den, and others in Dry Spotted-Tail. ,wer
no more" ,r,