Ranching in the Bad Lands. 25 



On another neighboring ranch there is a most ill- 

 favored hybrid, whose mother was a Newfoundland and 

 whose father was a large wolf. It is stoutly built, with 

 erect ears, pointed muzzle, rather short head, short bushy 

 tail, and of a brindled color ; funnily enough it looks more 

 like a hyena than like either of its parents. It is familiar 

 with people and a good cattle dog, but rather treach- 

 erous ; it both barks and howls. The parent wolf carried 

 on a long courtship with the Newfoundland. He came 

 round the ranch, regularly and boldly, every night, and 

 she would at once go out to him. In the daylight he 

 would lie hid in the bushes at some little distance. Once 

 or twice his hiding-place was discovered and then the men 

 would amuse themselves by setting the Newfoundland 

 on him. She would make at him with great apparent 

 ferocity ; but when they were a good way from the 

 men he would turn round and wait for her and they 

 would go romping off together, not to be seen again for 

 several hours. 



The cougar is hardly ever seen round my ranch ; but 

 toward the mountains it is very destructive both to 

 horses and horned cattle. The ranchmen know it by 

 the name of mountain lion ; and it is the same beast 

 that in the east is called panther or " painter." The 

 cougar is the same size and build as the Old World 

 leopard, and with very much the same habits. One will 

 generally lie in wait for the heifers or young steers as 

 they come down to water, and singling out an animal, 

 reach it in a couple of bounds and fasten its fangs in 

 the throat or neck. I have seen quite a large cow that 



