Amador ledger., 1906-06-01

Danes fighters, but they are no use at
all without the crowning moral force of
grit, that none can supply so well as
Bull-terrier. On that day the Cattle
men learned how to manage the Wolf
question.
Next day was Hallowe'e en-, the ami
versary of Snaps advent. The weather
was clear, bright, not too cold, and there
usually celebrated the day with hunt
of some sort, and now, OF course, Wolves
were the one object. To the disappoint-
ment of all, Snap was in bad shape with
his wound. He slept, as usual, at my
feet, and bloody stains now marked the
place. He was not in condition to fight,
but we were bound to have q Wolf-hunt
so he was beguiled to an clubhouse and
least, with a sense of impending disaster
l knew we should fail without my Dog
but L did not realize how bad a failure
it was to be.
Afar among the buttes of Skull Creek
we had roamed, when a white ball ap-
peared bounding through the sage-brush,
and In minute more Snap came, growl-
ing and stump-waggllng, ~ to my Horses s
side. 1 could not send him back; he would
take no such orders, not even from me.
His wound was looking bad, SO 1 called
him, held down the quirt, and jumped
-, There, I thought, "I'n keep you safe
reekoned not with Snap. The voice
had sighted Wolf Dander and Riley,
his rival, both sprang to the point of
observation, with the result that they
coliided and fell together, sprawlng, in
sighted the Wolf, not so very far off,
and before I knew it, he leaped from
the saddle and bounded zigzig, high, low,
in and under the sage, straight for the
enemy, leading the whole pack for q few
minutes. Not far, of course The great
Greyhounds sighted the moving speck, and
the usual procession strung out on the plain.
1t promised to be fine hunt, for the Wolf
had less than half a mile start and all
the Dogs were fully interested
They We turned up Grizzly Gully" cried
Garyin. This way, and we can bead
them off,
We galloped to the top of Cedar Ridge
and were about to ride down, when Hilton
shouted, By, George, here he Isl We're
right onto him. "A great Gray-wolf
came numbering across an open plain to-
ward us. His head was low, his tail
out level, and fifty yards behind him was
Dander, sailing like a Hawk over the
ground, going twice as fast as the Wolf.
In a minute the Hound was alongside
and snapped, but bounded back, as the
Wolf turned on him. In a few seconds
the next Greyhound arrived, then the
rest in order of swiftness. Each came
up full of fight and fury determined TO
go right in and tear the Gray-Volf to
pieces; but each in turn swerved aside
and leaped and barked around at a safe
instance; Aiter u minute or so the Russians
appeared-tne big Dogs they were Their
distant intention no doubt was to dash
at the old Wolf; but his fearless front,
his sinewy frame and death-dealing laws,
awed them long before they We're near
him, and they also joined the ring, while
the desperate in the middle faced this
way and that, ready for any or all.
Now the Danes came up, huge-limbed
creatures, any one of them as heavy as
the Wolf. 1 heard their heavy breathing
tighten into threatening sound as they
plunged ahead eager to tear the foe to
grim, fearless, mighty of jaw, tireIess of
limb, ready to die if need be, but sure
Of this, he would not die aIone-welI,
those great Danes-all three of them
We're stricken, as the rest had been with
sudden bashfulness: yes, they would 90
right in Ipresently-not now, but as soon
as they had got their breath; they were
read their courage in their voices. They
knew perfectly well that the first Dog to