New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-01-28
CHAPTER I-Continued.

For when all thugs are said and
done, there were few bigger towards
in the whole wilderness world than
WhiSperfoot. A good many people
think that Graycoat the coyote
could take lessons from him in this
respect. But others, knowing how a
hunter Is brought in occasionally with
almost all human resemblance gone
from him because Il cougar charged In
his death agony, think this Is unfair
Ia the larger animal. And II is true
that a full-gr0wn cougar will some
times attack horned cattle, something
that no American animal cares tC do
unless he wants II good fight on his
paws and of which the very thought
would throw Graycoat into a spasm I;
and there have been ever stranger
stories, II one could quite believe
them. A certain measure Of respect
must be extended To any animal that
viii hunt the great bull elk, for To
miss the stroke and get caught be-
meath the churnlng, flashing. slashing,
razor-edged front hoofs Is simply
death, painful and without delay. But
the difficulty lies In the fact that these
Things arc not done In the ordinary,
rational blood Of hunting. What an
animal does In its death agony, or to
protect It's young. what great game II
follows in the starving times Of win
ter, can be put to neither Its debit
nor its credit. A coyote will charge
when mad. A raccoon will put up Il
wicked fight when %cornered. A hen
viii peck ut the hand that robs her
nest. When hunting was fairly good,
W~hisperfoot avoided the elk and steer
almost as punctlliously ms he avoided
men. which is saying very much in
deed; and any kind Of terrier could
usually drive him straight up a tree.
but he did like To pretend 10 he
very great and terrible among the
smaller forest creatures. And he was
Fear itself To the deer. A human
hunter who would Kill two deer n
Meek for hfty-two weeks would be
called a much uglier name than poach-
Or hut yet this had been Whisper
fnot's record. on and on. ever since
his second year. Many n great buck
wore the scar Of the full stroke-aft-
or which W%hispcrfoot had lost his
hold Many n fawn had crouched
pnniing with terror in the thickets az
iusi q iawny light on the cnarled limb
Of q nine. Many n doe would grow
great-cycd and terrified at just his
strange. ruugent smell on the wind.
lie yavued again. and his fangs
looked white and abnormally large In
the moonlight. His great. green eyes
were still clouded and l%anguorous
from sleep. Then he began TO steal
VIZ the ridge toward his hunting
grounds. " was a curious thing that
Ic walked straight In the face Of the
wind that came down from the
snow fields. aud yet there wasn't n
vcaihercock to be seen anywhere. And
had the chipmunk seen him
vet q paw and hold IL up. after the
approved fashion Of holding up a fin
ger. He had a better way Of knowing
chill at the end Of his whiskers.
The little. brcathless night sounds
the brush around him seemed TO
madden him. They made a song to
him. a strange wild melody that Even
such frontiersmen a. Dan and Len
could not experience. A thousand
smells brushed down TO him on the
wind. more potent than any wine or
lust. lie began TO tremble all Over
with rapture and excitement. But IN
Ike CranstOn's trembling. no wilder
ear was keen enough TO hear the
caves rustling beneath him.