Wolf-Coursing 



far in advance of the pack — not over loo yards 

 behind the wolf, and gaining rapidly. Striking 

 a rise in the ground, he overtook the wolf and 

 seized him by the shoulder. The wolf seemed 

 to drag him several yards before he reached 

 around, and with his powerful, punishing jaws 

 gave him a slash that laid his skull bare and 

 rolled him over on the prairie. 



Slight as this interruption was, it encouraged 

 Dan to greater effort, and the next minute he 

 had distanced the pack, nailed the wolf by the 

 jowl, and over they went, wolf on top. Scotty 

 was but a few paces behind, and, taking a hind 

 hold, tried to stretch him. With a mighty 

 effort the wolf tore himself loose from both 

 and started to run again. He had not gone 

 thirty paces before Scotty bowled him over 

 again. Rising, he sullenly faced his foes, who, 

 with wholesome respect for his glistening ivo- 

 ries, seemed to hesitate while recovering their 

 wind, as they were sadly blown after their long 

 run, the day being an intensely hot one. At 

 this point I rode up. The wolf lay closely 

 hugging the ground, his swollen tongue pro- 

 truding from foam-flecked chops, and with 

 keen and wary eye he watched the maddened 

 pack circling about looking for a vulnerable 



335 



