IN THE FAR WEST. 51 



opponents by breaking his spinal column with a blow, and 

 then biting it through and through. As the entire pack was 

 threatened with destruction if the contest continued, we 

 advanced at a gallop to the scene, and calling the dogs away, 

 though not without much trouble, we opened fire on the old 

 one only, as we wished to lasso the youngsters. When the 

 latter saw the numerous enemies surrounding them they tried 

 to escape into a copse close by, and the mother attempted to 

 follow them, but two or three bullets in her body caused her 

 to stop and face about to deliver battle to her foes. Her eyes 

 fairly gleamed with fury on seeing the men and horses gallop- 

 ing 1 about her, and whenever a cavalier came any way near her 

 she charged him boldly, but only to receive a shot from him 

 or some other person near by. Bullets rained around her 

 from rifle and revolver, but they seemed to have no other effect 

 on her than to rouse her into fury and cause her to charge 

 whenever she had the chance. 



A man named Diego Gonzales becoming incensed at the 

 inefficacy of the fire, or her magical vitality, rode close up to 

 her, as his mustang was well trained, and delivered his fire 

 within ten yards of her face ; but he had scarcely discharged 

 his rifle before she bounded towards him, and before he could 

 wheel and get away she had thrown horse and rider to the 

 ground by one desperate blow. The fallen man drew his 

 revolver so as to sell his life as dearly as possible, but before 

 he could use it half a dozen men jumped off their terrified 

 mustangs and ran towards her, and opening fire on the huge 

 beast they killed her ere she could transfer her attentions 

 from the steed to the rider. When these were examined, we 

 found that the horse was so severely injured that he could not 

 live, while the rider escaped with only a severe contusion 

 of the under side and leg, and the crushing of the ankle bone. 

 To rid the poor horse of his misery, as his neck and face were 

 horribly cut, he was shot, and Gonzales was taken on a rude 

 litter to camp by four men. The remainder of the party 

 started out after the cubs, and with the aid of the dogs we 

 soon found them concealed in a dense growth of manzanita. 

 The party separated on rinding them, in order that each might 



E 2 



