} 



On the Little Missouri 



breed, such as bull-dog, mastiff, Newfound- 

 land, bloodhound, or collie. The only two 

 requisites are that the dogs shall run fast and 

 fight gamely ; and in consequence they form 

 as wicked, hard-biting a crew as ever ran down 

 and throttled a wolf. They are usually taken 

 out ten at a time, and by their aid Massingale 

 killed two hundred wolves during the year. 

 Of course there is no pretence of gi''ing the 

 game fair play. The wolves are killed as ver- 

 min, not for sport. The greatest havoc is in 

 the spring-time, when the she-wolves are fol- 

 lowed to their dens, which are sometimes holes 

 in the earth and sometimes natural caves. 

 There are from three to nine whelps in each 

 litter. Some of the hounds are very fast, and 

 they can usually overtake a young or weak 

 wolf ; but an old dog-wolf, with a good start, 

 unless run into at once, will surely get away if 

 he is in running trim. Frequently, however, 

 he is caught when he is not in running trim, 

 for the hunter is apt to find him when he has 

 killed a calf or taken part in dragging down 

 a horse or steer, and is gorged with meat. 

 Under these circumstances he cannot run long 

 before the pack. 



If possible, as with all such packs, the 



217 



