150 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



her lead for two or three miles, although our mustangs 

 were fresh and fleet, but the hounds finally began to gain 

 upon her, the ground being open ; she soon struck into a 

 rough country, however, which was seamed by two or three 

 small rivulets, and portions of which were dry masses of 

 indurated clay that could scarcely produce a spear of grass, 

 and over this she regained her lead by resorting to strata- 

 gems. She ran along the banks of a ravine, then into the 

 water, moving down with the slow current, and, escaping 

 some distance below, made for the hillocks of bare earth, or 

 where the prickly pear grew thickest; and this trick she 

 repeated until she passed all the streams. The result was 

 that the hounds frequently lost sight of her, or were puz- 

 zled on the trail ; and were we not mounted, so that we 

 could see her movements, she would, in all probability, 

 have escaped them, owing to the lead she obtained by these 

 delays. We, however, were able to make a straight cast as 

 soon as we overtook the pack ; but they were so stubborn 

 that their huntsman had some difficulty in getting them to 

 obey him and leave their puzzling for the direct trail, they 

 seeming to consider that they knew their own business bet- 

 ter than he did. When one responded, however, the others 

 followed its lead, and they were streaming away again in 

 a short time with renewed energy. The chase continued 

 over a rough piece of country for four or five miles, then 

 into a beautiful stretch of gently undulating grass -clad 

 prairie, and over this we had a splendid view of it, until 

 it finally disappeared in a coppice of poplars. Our steeds 

 were too much pumped to do more than keep in sight of 

 the dogs after the first few miles ; still, they had endur- 

 ance, and we were able to follow at a hand-gallop during 

 the entire run. 



When we reached the coppice we found the wolf dead, 

 and its throat torn open, while the hounds were lapping its 

 blood. The swift creature had evidently sought rest and 

 refuge there ; and, having become stiffened by the halt, was 

 unable to escape her merciless pursuers when they reached 

 it. On examining her, we found that she was a splendid 



