Evening star., 1907-11-17


there was battle in progress such as man can
rarely have looked upon. The wild ponies, gathered
under edge of the overhangng cliffs were punched
for defense. Lean, gaunt as greyhounds with every
rib showing, the band were putting up stiff fight
against overwhelming odds Except the Painted
Comanche, which seemed to have thrven upon diet
of chaparral bush, they evidently in con-
dtion to put up lasting fight. One, white mare,
had apparently been dragged down once or more,
for she was cut about the flank neck and withers,
and had blood Smeared across her side.
A Beautiful Battle
RUT the Painted Comanche was making battle
- beautiful to see The wolf pack surged to and
fro like parcel of hounds worrying a bear They
sought to fling themselves in a body upon
another of the ponies, and in doing rushed hither
and thither endeavoring to separate the quarry.
Once the whole pack could launch itself upon single
animal the kill would have followed in twinkling
And, in comprehension of this fact, the fighting
capacity of the Painted Comanche was seen.
His eyes were apparently turned In all directions
at once, and his charges, made with lightning
speed and calculation which simply defied wolf
tactics, bade fair, if the magnificent fellow could
hold out, to give him the victory. Again and again
the delighted cowmen the painted one hur him
self into the midst of the pack striking right and
left and f1nging heel strokes that dehed the eve
follow. At every such rush one more wolves were
knocked off their feet, and twice within a couple
of minutes the onlookers big wolf stricken
though knocked over by bullet, and, with broken
back crushed skull, put out of the fight.
There were already half-dozen or more wolves
out of action and Rube surprised that the pack
eat their dead and wounded; but there was no sign
that any of them tempted to devour their
kind. The cowboy had been familiar with wolves
for years, and though he had never seen any evil
dence of cannibalism among them, had taken it
for grant granted d.. .,o.,, ,..o,.. 49,. -. ,,
asked Pete.
Pete looked at him in surprise Um never do,
he said. Injun no eat Injun-wolf same"
Again there magnificent charge of the furi-
horse, and another wolf with back broken was
stretched upon the snow.
Well" said Rube, that s the best fghtin ever!
That Painted Comanche is grizzly in hoss hide,
with of rattlesnakes throwed in He shore
is some strenuous in a wolf round up"
They had brought long horsehair ropes wound
about their bodies, and Pete with perfect under
standing, worked his way ahead of the cowman and
dove into the snow after the manner of willow
grouse. He burrowed, with perfect judgment, just
beneath the surface of the drifts Rube followed
his guide and at the end of twenty minutes of slow
advance the two suddenly emerged into daylight
within easy pistol range of the wolves
The cownen jerked their weapons and while
yelping bowling pack fed along the edges of the
ledge, their guns spat smoke and destruction. When
the cylinders of two pairs of Colts empty, the
snow banks were strewn with gray carcasses and
stains of carmine. The wild ponies had punched
under an extreme limit of the ledge, their hair
end their eyes staring wildly, and the notch was
filled with shrir snorts Of defiance.
Cowboys Into the Fray
nNCE the wolves were beyond range the cowmen
- could no longer restrain their eagerness. Whirl-
ing their arats. they rushed at the frightened herd
Within their small inclosure the wild ponies crc1ed,
using their last strength in a dizzy whirl which
and round their tormentors Both these eagerly
aimed their reatas at the Painted Comanche, x
pectng to tangle him between them.
But throw after throw made in vain. The
powers and lodged like wheeling hawk, carrying