4IO The Wilderness H^tnter. 



throat ; for the strength of the quarry is such that other- 

 wise he will shake off the dogs, and then speedily kill them 

 by rabid snaps with his terribly armed jaws. Where 

 possible, half a dozen dogs should be slipped at once, to 

 minimize the risk of injury to the pack ; unless this is 

 done, and unless the hunter helps the dogs in the worry, 

 accidents will be frequent, and an occasional wolf will 

 be found able to beat off, maiming or killing, a lesser 

 number of assailants. Some hunters prefer the smooth 

 greyhound, because of its great speed, and others the 

 wire-coated animal, the rough deer-hound, because of its 

 superior strength ; both, if of the right kind, are dauntless 

 fiofhters. 



Colonel Williams' greyhounds have performed many 

 notable feats in wolf-hunting. He spent the winter of 

 1875 i^ the Black Hills, which at that time did not contain 

 a single settler, and fairly swarmed with game. Wolves 

 were especially numerous and very bold and fierce, so that 

 the dogs of the party were continually in jeopardy of their 

 lives. On the other hand they took an ample vengeance, 

 for many wolves were caught by the pack. Whenever 

 possible, the horsemen kept close enough to take an 

 immediate hand in the fight, if the quarry was a full-grown 

 wolf, and thus save the dogs from the terrible punishment 

 they were otherwise certain to receive. The dogs invari- 

 ably throttled, rushing straight at the throat, but the 

 wounds they themselves received were generally in the 

 flank or belly ; in several instances these wounds resulted 

 fatally. Once or twice a wolf was caught, and held by 

 two greyhounds until the horsemen came up ; but it took 



