Coyote 



Mr. Ernest Ingersoll, in the Popular Science Monthly, gives 

 a most vigorous account of a coyote attacking a doe-antelope 

 and her fawn. He says: "I remember at a place where I 

 was encamped for two or three nights in Southwestern Wyo- 

 if.ing, the rough ledge of a butte-face just across the creek was 

 the home of a family of these wolves, and I often saw the 

 mother lying at the mouth of their den, and the four whelps 

 gleefully romping in the sunshine. 



"The father of the family kept out of view at first; but 

 later I caught sight of him in pursuit of a doe-antelope and 

 her fawn. The doe was backing away over the plain, keeping 

 the little one, which seemed to understand its part perfectly, 

 close to her hind legs. 



"Following her closely ran the wolf, often making a dash 

 to the right or left to get at the fawn; but each time the 

 brave little mother, whisking alertly, would present to him her 

 lowered head and make a dash at his skull with her sharp 

 fore-hoofs. Thus she retired, but I fancy that the pursuer's 

 longer breath and varied tactics won the day at last." Mr. In- 

 gersoll goes on to say: "The nocturnal prowlings, secretive 

 disposition, and remarkable craftiness of this animal, together 

 with the annoyance it has the power to inflict, cause it to 

 figure prominently in the myths and religious history of the 

 Indians of the far West. Some of these stories I propose to 

 recall, and I am sure that they will suggest to every reader at 

 least the Reynard of European folk-lore, if not other interesting 

 parallels. 



"The Deity and creator of the Karok religion was Kareya, 

 who made the fishes, the animals, and, finally, man. Him he 

 commanded to assemble all the animals, in order to assign to 

 each its rank, by distributing bows and arrows. The longest 

 to the most powerful, and so on down the scale. 



"The beasts and birds came together the night before the 

 distribution, and all went to sleep except the coyote, who de- 

 termined to stay awake all night and go forth earliest in the 

 morning to get the longest bow. He took extraordinary pains to 

 keep awake, but over-reached himself in an excess of ingenuity 

 and fell asleep just before dawn. When he opened his eyes 

 only the very shortest bow was left for him. But Kareya, pitying 

 his weakness and disappointment, gave him cunning ten times 



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