192 HUNTING THE GRISLY. 



dark and I could not possibly see, but I felt 

 sure it was a wolf. However after coming 

 half-way over it changed its mind and swam 

 back to the opposite bank ; nor did I see or 

 hear anything more of the night marauders. 



Five or six times on the plains or on my 

 ranch I have had shots at wolves, always 

 obtained by accident and always, I regret to 

 say, missed. Often the wolf when seen was 

 running at full speed for cover, or else was so 

 far off that though motionless my shots went 

 wide of it. But once have I with my own rifle 

 killed a wolf, and this was while travelling 

 with a pack train in the mountains. We had 

 been making considerable noise, and I never 

 understood how an animal so wary permitted 

 our near approach. He did, nevertheless, and 

 just as we came to a little stream which we 

 were to ford I saw him get on a dead log 

 some thirty yards distant and walk slowly off 

 with his eyes turned toward us. The first 

 shot smashed his shoulders and brought him 

 down. 



i The wolf is one of the animals which can 

 only be hunted successfully with dogs. Most 

 Jdogs however do not take at all kindly to the 

 pursuit. A wolf is a terrible fighter. He will 

 decimate a pack of hounds by rabid snaps 

 with his giant jaws while suffering little dam- 

 age himself ; nor are the ordinary big dogs, 

 supposed to be fighting dogs, able to tackle 

 him without special training. I have known 

 one wolf to kill a bulldog which had rushed 

 at it with a single snap, while another which 



