Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-05-27
A BRAVE YOUNG
WESTERN HUNTER
A True Story.

When John Wesley Wolfe was scarce
lily 10 years of age he was good shot
with his fathers Winchester, although
it was too big for him to put up to his
Ishoulder in the proper manner. He
learned to shoot after a fashion of his
own, and could knock the head from a
deadly rattlesnake at fifteen to twenty
PAGES, five times out of six, and he easily
acquired skill in "roping" and Cow
punching"
He had grown up on the eastern wv
oming plains in sight of the picturesque
Rawhide mountains. He had no brothers
nor sisters nor neighborhood children
with whom to play, and it is not sur
prising that at very early age he ac-
compared his father on some of his
trips over the range.
Although rattlesnakes and coyotes,
gray wolves and wildcats are pretty good
game for boy of IL or 13 wears. this
one had never been allowed to accom-
pany the hunters of the ranch on their
quest for the annual supply of winter
meat into the haunts of big black tailed
deer. However. when John had reached
the age of Is years the opportunity
came.
The storms of an unusually early win
ter had sent the range cattle belonging
to his father fifty miles southeast of the
ranch, drifting along in front of the cut
ting northwest wind and this before the
winters supply of beef had been safely
housed in the log icehouse. When this
predicament faced the family, some of
the cowboy hunters decided to inaugu-
rate hunt and obtain the full quota of
the usual supply from the foothills,
where a large herd of black tailed deer
had been seen few days before This
was agreed to, and John was allowed by
his parents to accompany the hunters
1t is pretty well established that the
boy didn't sleep much the night before
the hunt. Before daybreak the hunters
were in the saddle the boy being the
first one to get ready. His rifle was
slung in holster at his pony's side and
his belt, loaded with shells, was buckled
about his waist. Day had not broken
when they hft the ranch, and they had
been out but few hours when a fearful
blizzard set in. During the storm the
hunters were separated and the boy soon
found that he was entirely alone He
was not troubled on that account. how
ever, and he resolved to 60 to a place
where he had often seen deer grazing
The snow had driIted oadly all day, and
his parents on the ranch were not lit
tie uneasy lest, in the fearful storm,
John might become separated from the
others and lose himself in the great
plains where every hill looks Just like its
neighbor and where trails are unknown
The sun finally burst through the
clouds, but the boy did not return. OF
the four cowboys who had started out
all returned by twilight and reported
they had not seen the lad for hours. Al
though cold and benumbed by their bat
tie with the storm the hunters did not
remove their saddles, intending to start
out to look for John. Finally, Just as a
searching party was starting, a telephone
message from a neighboring ranch an
nounced that the boy had lust passed
there ON foot leading his pony. upon
which were roped the carcasses of two
deer.
There was joy at Nine Bar when the
message was made known. and when the
| lad came into view it was let loose in
such welcome as anxious parents and
cowboys only know how to give Sure
enough, there were two deer roped to the
saddle of the little fellows pony. and
| then all crowded around as he related
the story of the days adventures.
| John said he had gone to canyon,
after he realized that he was alone,
about eight miles from the ranch. reach
| ing there after the storm broke. where
he remained under protecting ledge of
rocks awaiting clearer skies. He had
found and followed deer tracks in the
snow and had finally come upon herd
lof a score of fully grown black tailed
deer. He had succeeded in getting with
in $50 yards of the herd without be.
ing seen, Just as he was about to fire
the leader of the herd saw him and the
deer We're off with the wind As quick
ly as possible he aiued and fired and
succeeded in securing two
The boy said he found that the deer
were too heavy for him to lift to the
lpony's back and he was at a loss for a
moment as to what he should do If he
left them and went to the ranch for help
it would give the big gray wolves a
feast. Finally he said he thought of n
hunters trick. He took his rope from
the horn of his saddle and fastening one
end to the saddle horn he fastened the
other to one of the deer and dragged it
over the snow TO pine tree near BY. He
then threw one end of the rope over a
limb and started the pony so that the
rope wound about the tree and the deer
was lifted higher than the back of the
horse. He then lowered it to the ponv's
back and fastened it securely. The same
method was followed with the second
animal
When, after two hours hard work. the
two deer We're securely fastened with his
lariat. there was no place on the horsa
for him. and there was no alternative
but for him to walk to the ranch and
lead his horse. The distance to the
ranch was ten miles and most of the
trail was ohliterated by snow but John
was the son of plainsman, born on the
great central plains, and reared under
just such conditions as now confronted
him.
SO, leading his pony, he began the long
march home. A score of times he was
l.