Coyote Hunting on the Plains of Colorado 95 



quarters of a mile. It was a pity, for the coyote, carrying such 

 a picnic dinner, could not have held out for any great distance. 

 But such a ride the writer has rarely experienced. On went his 

 mount long after the hounds had stopped running, the loose 

 dangling stirrup spurring him on. He pulled at his horse, but to 

 no account; side by side he ran with that coyote, as if trying 

 to turn a runaway steer. The writer knew the race must come 

 to a stop sometime, and that all outdoors was before them. 

 Down a gradual descent for a mile, horse and coyote had it neck 

 and neck. This brought them to a dry ditch or creek, which 

 the writer wished at all events to avoid. He pulled with all his 

 might on liis right hand rein, as they were going at it obliquely, 

 but not an inch would the horse give to his pull. Nearer and 

 nearer came the ditch ; both hands were now pulling at the one 

 rein; you might as well have tried to change the course of a 

 shooting star. Down into the ditch, a perpendicular drop of 

 about three feet, went horse and coyote — up, and out the 

 opposite side, which was less abrupt. There was nothing to do 

 but to ride it out. The writer began to feel liis weakness, liis 

 eyes were nearly blinded by filling with water at the cutting 

 wind. Another half mile, and still the horse could not head the 

 coyote nor the coyote get away. Again he pulled and tugged 

 with all his might against the bit, to no purpose whatever, and 

 it began to dawn on the rider that he was being run away with. 

 It was evident that the horse had never undertaken to head a 

 steer without succeeding and to turn back in defeat was not in 

 the lexicon of his experience. Presentl}^ it occurred to the 

 writer to try to rein the horse by the neck. This brought him 

 about like the pressure of a tiller to a sail-boat, and the race 

 of the tenderfoot was over. 



Just as this pair returned to the wagon, another coyote was 

 sighted, but a few rods to the left. This was the cattleman's 

 turn (he having returned meantime) , and away he went. The 

 hounds deserted him in the first hundred rods, but his coyote 



