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pedigree often prove useless for the purposes。 If by careful choice；
however； a ranchman can get together a pack composed both of the
smooth…haired greyhound and the rough…haired Scotch deer…hound； he can
have excellent sport。 The greyhounds sometimes do best if they have a
slight cross of bulldog in their veins； but this is not necessary。 If
once a greyhound can be fairly entered to the sport and acquires
confidence； then its wonderful agility； its sinewy strength and speed；
and the terrible snap with which its jaws come together； render it a
most formidable assailant。 Nothing can possibly exceed the gallantry
with which good greyhounds； when their blood is up； fling themselves
on a wolf or any other foe。 There does not exist； and there never has
existed on the wide earth； a more perfect type of dauntless courage
than such a hound。 Not Cushing when he steered his little launch
through the black night against the great ram Albemarle； not Custer
dashing into the valley of the Rosebud to die with all his men； not
Farragut himself lashed in the rigging of the Hartford as she forged
past the forts to encounter her iron…clad foe； can stand as a more
perfect type of dauntless valor。
Once I had the good fortune to witness a very exciting hunt of this
character among the foot…hills of the northern Rockies。 I was staying
at the house of a friendly cowman； whom I will call Judge Yancy Stump。
Judge Yancy Stump was a Democrat who； as he phrased it； had fought for
his Democracy； that is； he had been in the Confederate Army。 He was at
daggers drawn with his nearest neighbor； a cross…grained mountain
farmer； who may be known as old man Prindle。 Old man Prindle had been
in the Union Army； and his Republicanism was of the blackest and most
uncompromising type。 There was one point； however； on which the two
came together。 They were exceedingly fond of hunting with hounds。 The
Judge had three or four track…hounds； and four of which he called
swift…hounds； the latter including one pure…bred greyhound bitch of
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