hunting the grisly and other sketches-第35章

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wonderful　speed　and　temper；　a　dun…colored　yelping　animal　which　was　a
cross　between　a　greyhound　and　a　fox…hound；　and　two　others　that　were
crosses　between　a　greyhound　and　a　wire…haired　Scotch　deer…hound。　Old
man　Prindle's　contribution　to　the　pack　consisted　of　two　immense
brindled　mongrels　of　great　strength　and　ferocious　temper。　They　were
unlike　any　dogs　I　have　ever　seen　in　this　country。　Their　mother　herself
was　a　cross　between　a　bull　mastiff　and　a　Newfoundland；　while　the
father　was　descried　as　being　a　big　dog　that　belonged　to　a　〃Dutch
Count。〃　The　〃Dutch　Count〃　was　an　outcast　German　noble；　who　had　drifted
to　the　West；　and；　after　failing　in　the　mines　and　failing　in　the　cattle
country；　had　died　in　a　squalid　log　shanty　while　striving　to　eke　out　an
existence　as　a　hunter　among　the　foot…hills。　His　dog；　I　presume；　from
the　description　given　me；　must　have　been　a　boar…hound　or　Ulm　dog。

As　I　was　very　anxious　to　see　a　wolf…hunt　the　Judge　volunteered　to　get
one　up；　and　asked　old　man　Prindle　to　assist；　for　the　sake　of　his　two
big　fighting　dogs；　though　the　very　names　of　the　latter；　General　Grant
and　Old　Abe；　were　gall　and　wormwood　to　the　unreconstructed　soul　of　the
Judge。　Still　they　were　the　only　dogs　anywhere　around　capable　of
tackling　a　savage　timber　wolf；　and　without　their　aid　the　judge's　own
high…spirited　animals　ran　a　serious　risk　of　injury；　for　they　were
altogether　too　game　to　let　any　beast　escape　without　a　struggle。

Luck　favored　us。　Two　wolves　had　killed　a　calf　and　dragged　it　into　a
long　patch　of　dense　brush　where　there　was　a　little　spring；　the　whole
furnishing　admirable　cover　for　any　wild　beast。　Early　in　the　morning　we
started　on　horseback　for　this　bit　of　cover；　which　was　some　three　miles
off。　The　party　consisted　of　the　Judge；　old　man　Prindle；　a　cowboy；
myself；　and　the　dogs。　The　judge　and　I　carried　our　rifles　and　the
cowboy　his　revolver；　but　old　man　Prindle　had　nothing　but　a　heavy　whip；
for　he　swore；　with　many　oaths；　that　no　one　should　interfere　with　his
big　dogs；　for　by　themselves　they　would　surely　〃make　the　wolf　feel
sicker　than　a　stuck　hog。〃　Our　shaggy　ponies　racked　along　at　a　five…
mile　gait　over　the　dewy　prairie　grass。　The　two　big　dogs　trotted　behind
their　master；　grim　and　ferocious。　The　track…hounds　were　tied　in
couples；　and　the　beautiful　greyhounds　loped　lightly　and　gracefully
alongside　the　horses。　The　country　was　fine。　A　mile　to　our　right　a
small　plains　river　wound　in　long　curves　between　banks　fringed　with
cottonwoods。　Two　or　three　miles　to　our　left　the　foot…hills　rose　sheer
and　bare；　with　clumps　of　black　pine　and　cedar　in　their　gorges。　We　rode
over　gently　rolling　prairie；　with　here　and　there　patches　of　brush　in
the　bottoms　of　the　slopes　around　the　dry　watercourses。

At　last　we　reached　a　somewhat　deeper　valley　in　which　the　wolves　were
harbored。　Wolves　lie　close　in　the　daytime　and　will　not　leave　cover　if
they　can　help　it；　and　as　they　had　both　food　and　water　within　we　knew
it　was　most　unlikely　that　this　couple　would　be　gone。　The　valley　was　a
couple　of　hundred　yards　broad　and　three　or　four　times　as　long；　filled
with　a　growth　of　ash　and　dwarf　elm　and　cedar；　thorny　underbrush
choking　the　spaces　between。　Posting　the　cowboy；　to　whom　he　gave　his
rifle；　with　two　greyhounds　on　one　side　of　the　upper　end；　and　old　man
Prindle　with　two　others　on　the　opposite　side；　while　I　was　left　at　the
lower　end　to　guard　against　the　possibility　of　the　wolves　breaking
back；　the　Judge　himself　rode　into　the　thicket　near　me　and　loosened　the
track…hounds　to　let　them　find　the　wolves'　trail。　The　big　dogs　also
were　uncoupled　and　allowed　to　go　in　with　the　hounds。　Their　power　of
scent　was　very　poor；　but　they　were　sure　to　be　guided　aright　by　the
baying　of　the　hounds；　and　their　presence　would　give　confidence　to　the
latter　and　make　them　ready　to　rout　the　wolves　out　of　the　thicket；
which　they　would　probably　have　shrunk　from　doing　alone。　There　was　a
moment's　pause　of　expectation　after　the　Judge　entered　the　thicket　with
his　hounds。　We　sat　motionless　on　our　horses；　eagerly　looking　through
the　keen　fresh　morning　air。　Then　a　clamorous　baying　from　the　thicket
in　which　both　the　horseman　and　dogs　had　disappeared　showed　that　the
hounds　had　struck　the　trail　of　their　quarry　and　were　running　on　a　hot
scent。　For　a　couple　of　minutes　we　could　not　be　quite　certain　which　way
the　game　was　going　to　break。　The　hounds　ran　zigzag　through　the　brush；
as　we　could　tell　by　their　baying；　and　once　some　yelping　and　a　great
row　showed　that　they　had　come　rather　closer　than　they　had　expected
upon　at　least　one　of　the　wolves。

In　another　minute；　however；　the　latter　found　it　too　hot　for　them　and
bolted　from　the　thicket。　My　first　notice　of　this　was　seeing　the
cowboy；　who　was　standing　by　the　side　of　his　horse；　suddenly　throw　up
his　rifle　and　fire；　while　the　greyhounds　who　had　been　springing　high
in　the　air；　half　maddened　by　the　clamor　in　the　thicket　below；　for　a
moment　dashed　off　the　wrong　way；　confused　by　the　report　of　the　gun。　I
rode　for　all　I　was　worth　to　where　the　cowboy　stood；　and　instantly
caught　a　glimpse　of　two　wolves；　grizzled…gray　and　brown；　which　having
been　turned　by　his　shot　had　started　straight　over　the　hill　across　the
plain　toward　the　mountains　three　miles　away。　As　soon　as　I　saw　them　I
saw　also　that　the　rearmost　of　the　couple　had　been　hit　somewhere　in　the
body　and　was　lagging　behind；　the　blood　running　from　its　flanks；　while
the　two　greyhounds　were　racing　after　it；　and　at　the　same　moment　the
track…hounds　and　the　big　dogs　burst　out　of　the　thicket；　yelling
savagely　as　they　struck　the　bloody　trail。　The　wolf　was　hard　hit；　and
staggered　as　he　ran。　He　did　not　have　a　hundred　yards'　start　of　the
dogs；　and　in　less　than　a　minute　one　of　the　greyhounds　ranged　up　and
passed　him　with　a　savage　snap　that　brought　him　too；　and　before　he
could　recover　the　whole　pack　rushed　at　him。　Weakened　as　he　was　he
could　make　no　effective　fight　against　so　many　foes；　and　indeed　had　a
chance　for　but　one　or　two　rapid　snaps　before　he　was　thrown　down　and
completely　covered　by　the　bodies　of　his　enemies。　Yet　with　one　of　these
snaps　he　did　damage；　as　a　shrill　yell　told；　and　in　a　second　an　over…
rash　track…hound　came　out　of　the　struggle　with　a　deep　gash　across　his
shoulders。　The　worrying；　growling；　and　snarling　were　terrific；　but　in
a　minute　the　heaving　mass　grew　motionless　and　the　dogs　drew　off；　save
one　or　two　that　still　continued　to　worry　the　dead　wolf　as　it　lay　stark
and　stiff　with　glazed　eyes　and　rumpled　fur。

No　sooner　were　we　satisfied　that　it　was　dead　than　the　Judge；　with
cheers　and　oaths　and　crackings　of　his　whip；　urged　the　dogs　after　the
other　wolf。　The　two　greyhounds　that　had　been　with　old　man　Prindle　had
fortunately　not　been　able　to　see　the　wolves　when　they　first　broke　from
the　cover；　and　never　saw　the　wounded　wolf　at　all；　starting　off　at　full
speed　after　the　unwounded　one　the　instant　he　topped　the　crest　of　the
hill。　He　had　taken　advantage　of　a　slight　hollow　and　turned；　and　now
the　chase　was　crossing　us　half　a　mile　away。　With　whip　and　spur　we　flew
towards　them；　our　two　greyhounds　stretching　out　in　front　and　leaving
us　as　if　we　were　standing　still；　the　track…hounds　and　big　dogs　running
after　them　just　ahead　of　the　horses。　Fortunately　the　wolf　plunged　for
a　moment　into　a　little　brushy　hollow　and　again　doubled　back；　and　this
gave　us　a　chance　to　see　the　end　of　the　chase　from　nearby。　The　two
greyhounds　which　had　first　taken　up　the　pursuit　were　then　but　a　short
distance　behind。　Nearer　they　crept　until　they　were　within　ten　yards；
and　then　with　a　tremendous　race　the　little　bitch　ran　past　him　and
inflicted　a　vicious　bite　in　the　big　beast's　ham。　He　whirled　around
like　a　top　and　his　jaws　clashed　like　those　of　a　sprung　bear…trap；　but
quick　though　he　was　she　was　quicker　and　just　cleared　his　savage　rush。
In　another　moment　he　resumed　his　flight　at　full　speed；　a　speed　which
only　that　of　the　greyhounds　exceeded；　but　almost　immediately　the
second　greyhound　ranged　alongside；　and　though　he　was　not　able　to　bite；
because　the　wolf　kept　running　with　its　head　turned　around　threatening
him；　yet　by　his　feints　he　delayed　the　beast's　flight　so　that　in　a
moment　or　two　the　remaining　couple　of　swift　hounds　arrived　on　the
scene。　For　a　mo