WOL VES AND WOLF-HO UNDS. 1 8 7 



surroundings, and had been emboldened to 

 make the assault so near town by the evident 

 helplessness of the prey. 



The big timber wolves of the northern Rocky 

 Mountains attack every four-footed beast to be 

 found where they live. They are far from 

 contenting themselves with hunting deer and 

 snapping up the pigs and sheep of the farm. 

 When the weather gets cold and food scarce 

 they band together in small parties, perhaps 

 of four or five individuals, and then assail any- 

 thing, even a bear or a panther. A bull elk 

 or bull moose, when on its guard, makes a most 

 dangerous fight ; but a single wolf will fre- 

 quently master the cow of either animal, as well 

 as domestic cattle and horses. In attacking 

 such large game, however, the wolves like to 

 act in concert, one springing at the animal's 

 head, and attracting its attention, while the 

 other hamstrings it. Nevertheless, one such 

 big wolf will kill an ordinary horse. A man I 

 knew, who was engaged in packing into the 

 the Cceur d'Alenes, once witnessed such a feat 

 on the part of a wolf. He was taking his pack 

 train down into a valley when he saw a horse 

 grazing therein ; it had been turned loose by 

 another packing outfit, because it became ex- 

 hausted. He lost sight of it as the trail went 

 down a zigzag, and while it was thus out of 

 sight he suddenly heard it utter the appalling 

 scream, unlike and more dreadful than any 

 other sound, which a horse only utters in ex- 

 treme fright or agony. The scream was re- 

 peated, and as he came in sight again he saw 



