THE WOLF HUNTERS 



point several miles down the creek, which indi- 

 cated that there was a body of water there. 



In the evening when the men had returned 

 from the hay-field we all stood for a while looking 

 down the valley and remarking on the appearance 

 of civilization imparted to the scene by the distant 

 flat dotted over with cocks of hay. But in the 

 morning at daylight, on again looking in that di- 

 rection, we were filled with indignation to see that 

 during the night a herd of buffalo had preempted 

 our hay-field and had trampled, horned, and scat- 

 tered all the nice cocks in every direction, and 

 were now bedded on the ground, probably chewing 

 their cuds in total indifference to our rights after 

 almost destroying the previous day's work of our 

 haymakers. 



"I'll make wolf bait of one of 'em for spite, so 

 I will," said Jack as he seized a rifle and started 

 down the hollow to get a shot. 



"Don't kill more'n one, Jack, just enough to 

 scare them off," suggested Tom as the irate Irish- 

 man sneaked off down the ravine, "for we don't 

 want our hay ground littered up with dead buffalo 

 and dead wolf carcasses." 



For some minutes Tom and I stood watching 

 the buffalo to see what the Irishman would do for 

 them. They were all lying down in apparent per- 

 fect contentment except one large bull. We kept 

 our eyes on the big bull and after a time saw the 

 huge beast drop, and immediately afterward the 



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