THE WOLF HUNTERS 



We found the old man still badly crippled from 

 the wound in his thigh, but the doctor thought he 

 would be able to travel in a few days. 



The faithful dog was glad to see us and to be 

 released. He was quite hungry, for he had had 

 nothing to eat since the feed I gave him in the 

 dugout before starting him with the message to 

 Bill. 



As I was hitching up our mule team at Saun- 

 ders' company stable, the captain came by and in- 

 sisted on my going with him to the commissary 

 and loading in some rations and feed which he had 

 procured a requisition for, to replace the supplies 

 that his men and horses had consumed at Camp 

 Coyotelope. 



The work of settling up our business affairs and 

 getting everything ready for the return trip now 

 devolved upon me, though I had the benefit of 

 consultation with Tom on all matters of impor- 

 tance. 



As already stated, our winter's catch of wolf- 

 skins numbered something over three thousand. 

 These were all dried and baled in one of Weissel- 

 baum's warerooms. About one fourth of these 

 pelts were of the large gray wolves, or 'Hobos," as 

 the Mexicans call them, which, at that time, were 

 rated on the plains at one dollar and twenty-five 

 cents each. The other three fourths were coy- 

 otes, worth seventy-five cents each. Besides these, 

 there were several bales of the skins of the little 



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