30 Hunting Trips of a Ranchman 



roused everybody. The wolf loped off with his 

 booty, the dog running after and overtaking him in 

 the darkness. The struggle was short, for the dog 

 had seized the wolf by the throat and the latter 

 could not shake him off, though he made the most 

 desperate efforts, rising on his hind legs and press- 

 ing the dog down with his forepaws. This time the 

 victor escaped scatheless, but in his second fight, 

 when he strangled a still larger wolf, he was se- 

 verely punished. The wolf had seized a sheep, when 

 the dog, rushing on him, caused him to leave his 

 quarry. Instead of running he turned to bay at 

 once, taking off one of the assailant's ears with a 

 rapid snap. The dog did not get a good hold, and 

 the wolf scored him across the shoulders and flung 

 him off. They then faced each other for a minute 

 and at the next dash the dog made good his throat 

 hold, and throttled the wolf, though the latter con- 

 trived to get his foe's foreleg into his jaws and broke 

 it clear through. When I saw the dog he had com- 

 pletely recovered, although pretty well scarred. 



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 treacherous; it both 

 barks and howls. The parent wolf carried on a 

 long courtship with the Newfoundland. He came 



