Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-08-16

pece us because I'm always UP and
a-comin'. Blamed if they didn't all line
up and holler, Three howls fer Pete,
tn biggest wolf hunter in th' United
States The fellers know how to COYOTE
calls, l tell you, and old Alliance got
wakin' up, that's sure. I felt pretty
good when rode home next day.
Ihat brings me around to the way
happened to break up the den up on
Dry Spotted Tail. That is the roughest
spot of land this side of the foothills.
There are hundreds Of rocky gulches
and ridges and not a drop of water in
any Of them. I'd thought for a LONG
spell that there was big den in some
OF them gulches, for as sure as any of
Ashbrook's cattle got to ranging that
way he'd lose a calf or two every
night.
"Well, when come back from that
celebration along toward night next
day, l saw Ashbrook waiting at my
gate long before got there. He
looked pretty dark and thunde1y, and
knew something was up.
Say said he how many dogs you
got?'
Two grayhounds, two staghounds,'
said I.
I know you hain't been out after
wolf for a long time,' said Ashbrook,
'Dut there's no use talking, you've got
to get out now. What do you think,
/ turned my big stallion out so that he
rOu1d pnt cOmofh;po m oo% ora l.,.>yx
while we were at the celebration yester-
day, and | come home tonight and find
him with both his hams eat out, drag
ging himself around, almost dead, on
his forelegs. Pete you've got to run
I them varmints down. You can't poison
them You can't do nothing. I'll give
you $50 apiece for all you kill
Where are your cattle?' l asked
him, and he said they were fifteen
miles up the range toward Dry Spotted
Tail. All right, Ashbrook You 20
over to Jakes and to Williams. and
then up to Marsland to the stable there
and get all the dogs you can borrow.
Thatll take you all night and more.
I'm going to ride around your bunch
of cattle 80 as to get there early in TIM
morning.
'I rode twenty five miles that nighA
and just at the very first streak OF red
in the east came upon the herd.
noticed that every critter was standing
and moving with shaky, restless
motion. A mile away I could hear
their low, mournful believing.
worked around to the lee side, and
kept edging in closer, and the light
was getting brighter all the time. just
as the sun shot over the valley l saw
the long, gaunt, shaggy mother wolf
slipping like a shadow along dry
watercourse.
Jerusalem! 1 turned Lee loose, and
l tell you when l do nobody gets
ahead Of me- My four dogs knew I'd
sighted game, for they'd run aheac
like mad. and stand up on their hind
legs to look. Then they'd jump in ths
air and whine softly. I'd forbidden
them to bay. The wolf was carrying
the hind quarters of calf and did MOI
sight me until I was within Thousand
Yards. When she did she dropped the
meal she had intended for her Whelps
and flew for her life. She gained near
" half a mile in the first burst or he'
speed. but l knew the wolves. saw
her swerve. Away to the other sld'
of the valley saw blue guicn
There you go, you devil said l. ant
pulled across the angle. Inen TIT
Kentucky in Lee began to come OUT
Mats of buffalo grass ran together ilk'
smooth carpet under my feet, ana tn'
sparse July blossoms swept oy lik'
stars Dry arroyos did not check nm
He jumped over prairie dog holes care
ful and clean, and he gained, galneo
we were almose near enough Tor tn
dogs to sight her when the wolf crop
ned behind a little ridge and we IA,
almost neck and neck to the mout'
Of the gulch. She beat us two hunore'
yards. and the dogs had not seen nel
II did not look for the end SO sooA