Coyote 
Mr. Ernest Ingersoll, in the Popular Science Monthly, gives 
a most vigorous account of a coyote attacking a doe-antelope 
and her fawn. He says: ‘‘! remember at a place where | 
was encamped for two or three nights in Southwestern Wyo- 
ming, the rough ledge of a butte-face just across the creek was 
the home of a family of these wolves, and I often saw _ the 
mother lying at the mouth of their den, and the four whelps 
gleefully romping in the sunshine. 
‘‘The father of the family kept out of view at first; but 
later I caught sight of him in pursuit of a doe-antelope and 
her fawn. The doe was backing away over the plain, keeping 
the little one, which seemed to understand its part perfectly, 
close to her hind legs. 
‘Following her closely ran the wolf, often making a dash 
to the right or left to get at the fawn; but each time the 
brave little mother, whisking alertly, would present to him her 
lowered head and make a dash at his skull with her sharp 
fore-hoofs. Thus she retired, but I fancy that the pursuer’s 
longer breath and varied tactics won the day at last.’’ Mr. In- 
gersoll goes on to say: ‘‘The nocturnal prowlings, secretive 
disposition, and remarkable craftiness of this animal, together 
with the annoyance it has the power to inflict, cause it to 
figure prominently in the myths and religious history of the 
Indians of the far West. Some of these stories I propose to 
recall, and I am sure that they will suggest to every reader at 
least the Reynard of European folk-lore, if not other interesting 
parallels. 
‘‘The Deity and creator of the Karok religion was Kareya, 
who made the fishes, the animals, and, finally, man. Him he 
commanded to assemble all the animals, in order to assign to 
each its rank, by distributing bows and arrows. The longest 
to the most powerful, and so on down the scale. 
‘‘The beasts and birds came together the night before the 
distribution, and all went to sleep except the coyote, who de- 
termined to stay awake all night and go forth earliest in the 
morning to get the longest bow. He took extraordinary pains to 
keep awake, but over-reached himself in an excess of ingenuity 
and fell asleep just before dawn. When he opened his eyes 
only the very shortest bow was left for him. But Kareya, pitying 
his weakness and disappointment, gave him cunning ten times 
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