206 HUNTING THE GRISLY. 



occasional wolf will be found able to beat off, 

 maiming or killing, a lesser number of assail- 

 ants. Some hunters prefer the smooth grey- 

 hound, 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 fighters. 



Colonel Williams' greyhounds have per- 

 formed many noble feats in wolf-hunting. He 

 spent the winter of 1875 in 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 ven- 

 geance, 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 pun- 

 ishment they were otherwise certain to receive. 

 The dogs invariably 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 at least five dogs to 

 overcome and slay unaided a big timber wolf. 

 Several times the feat was performed by a 

 party of five, consisting of two greyhounds, 

 one rough-coated deer-hound, and two cross- 

 bloods ; and once by a litter of seven young 



