The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-03-07
CHAPTER V.
Ward Hunts Wolves.

Tho fate of the four heifer
calves became permanently wrap
ped in mystery. Billy Louise
watched for them when she rode
out in the hills, and spent a good
deal of time heretofore given
over to dreaming in trying to
solve the riddle of their disap-
pearance. Charlie Fox insisted
upon keeping to the theory that
they had merely strayed. Marthy
grumbied sometimes over the loss
and Ward-well, Ward did not
put in an appearance again that
fall or winter and so did not hear
of the incident.
Ward, as a matter OF fact, had
very good reason for his alb
sence. He was working for a
rancher named Judkins over on
the other side of the mountains,
and when he got leave of alb
sence, it was merely that he
might ride to his claim and sleep
there a night in compliance with
the law, and see that nothing was
disturbed.
Then, in April, he~left Judkins
and drove home a nice little
bunch of ten cows and a two
year-old and two yearlings which
the ranchman had wintered for
him at nominal sum.
Ward promised himself that he
| nj 20 h. oil
inc the very next day land see
how the folks came through the
winter" He wanted to tell Will
liam Louisa that he was some
cowman himself these days.
He paid the visit, and after
that he dreamed more than ever.
And then his dreams received
a jolt. When the first calf went
to dull the hunger of the wolves
that howled O. nights among the
rocks and stunted pines on Ban
mock Butte, Ward swore a good
deal and resolved to ride with his
rifle tied on the saddle hereafter.
! When the second calf was pull
ed down in spite of the mothers
defense, within half mile of his
cabin, Ward postponed trip he
had meant to make to the VOL
VERNE and went out on the trail
of the wolves. In the loose soil of
the lower ridge he tracked them
easily and guessed that there
would be at least one den. II he
could find it and get the pups
well, the bounty on one litter
would even his loss, even IL he
were not lucky enough to get one
of the old ones. He had a shovel
tied to the saddle to use in case
he found den.
SO, planning a crusade against
these enemies of his enterprise,
he picked his way slowly up the
side of the deep gully that had a
little stream wandering through
rocks at the bottom.
Quite accidentally, he glanced
across to the far side, his eyes at
tracted to something which had
moved. Ward lifted his rifle and
pulled the trigger. The object
over there leaped high, came
down heavily, and rolled ten feet
down the hill to another level.
Ward slid recklessly down to
the bottom, sought a narrow
place. jumped the creek, and
climbed exultantly to where the
wolf lay.
Maybe you were playing look
out for the bunch" he said.
Leaving the wolf where she lay,
he climbed to the rocks where he
had first seen her. The den was
tunneled into the earth. 1t was q
case where the shovel was need
ed. Ward went back to where
Rather waited. He was jubilant
over his good luck. With an
average litter of pups, and the
old wolf besides, the bounty
would make those two calves the
most profitable animals In the
bunch, reckoned on the basis OF
money invested in them.
1t was after he had dug the
nest out and sent each one of the
eight pups into oblivion with O.