84 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



who seizes it immediately, and runs off with the morsel 

 in his mouth. Before he gets many yards with his 

 prize, the large wolf pounces with a growl upon him, 

 and the cayeute, dropping the meat, returns to his 

 former position, and will continue his charitable act as 

 long as the hunter pleases to supply him. 



Wolves are so common on the plains and in the 

 mountains, that the hunter never cares to throw away 

 a charge of ammunition upon them, although the 

 ravenous animals are a constant source of annoyance to 

 him, creeping to the camp-fire at night, and gnawing 

 his saddles and apis/iamores, eating the skin ropes 

 which secure the horses and mules to their pickets, and 

 even their very hobbles, and not unfrequently killing or 

 entirely disabling the animals themselves. 



Bound the camp during the night, the cayeute keeps 

 unremitting watch, and the traveller not unfrequently 

 starts from his bed with affright, as the mournful and 

 unearthly chiding of the wolf breaks suddenly upon his 

 ear : the long-drawn howl being taken up by others of 

 the band, until it dies away in the distance, or some 

 straggler passing within hearing answers to the note, and 

 howls as he lopes away. 



Our party crossed the south fork about ten miles 

 from its juncture with the main stream, and then 

 passing the prairie, struck the north fork a day's travel 

 from the other. At the mouth of an ash-timbered creek 

 they came upon Indian " sign," and, as now they were 

 in the vicinity of the treacherous Sioux, they moved 

 along with additional caution, Frapp and Gonneville, 



