WOLF-COURSING 113 



the divide I was afraid I might have missed Abernethy, 

 but to my delight he was still in sight, far ahead. As 

 we began to go down hill I let the horse fairly race; for 

 by Abernethy's motions I could tell that he was close to 

 the wolf and that it was no longer running in a straight 

 line, so that there was a chance of my overtaking them. 

 In a couple of miles I was close enough to see what was 

 going on. But one greyhound was left with Abernethy. 

 The coyote was obviously tired, and Abernethy, with the 

 aid of his perfectly trained horse, was helping the grey- 

 hound catch it. Twice he headed it, and this enabled 

 me to gain rapidly. They had reached a small unwooded 

 creek by the time I was within fifty yards; the little wolf 

 tried to break back to the left; Abernethy headed it and 

 rode almost over it, and it gave a wicked snap at his 

 foot, cutting the boot. Then he wheeled and came tow- 

 ard it; again it galloped back, and just as it crossed the 

 creek the greyhound made a rush, pinned it by the hind 

 leg and threw it. There was a scuffle, then a yell from 

 the greyhound as the wolf bit it. At the bite the hound 

 let go and jumped back a few feet, and at the same mo- 

 ment Abernethy, who had ridden his horse right on them 

 as they struggled, leaped off and sprang on top of the 

 wolf. He held the reins of the horse with one hand and 

 thrust the other, with a rapidity and precision even 

 greater than the rapidity of the wolf's snap, into the wolf's 

 mouth, jamming his hand down crosswise between the 

 jaws, seizing the lower jaw and bending it down so that 

 the wolf could not bite him. He had a stout glove on his 

 hand, but this would have been of no avail whatever had 



