68 
WILD AMERICANS 
“He is peculiar that way. He seems to have a 
strange knowledge of man. If we had stepped out of 
the car with a gun, he would have disappeared in a 
streak, running faster than any pet dog you ever saw. 
He seems to have an unusually keen sense of smell, 
and has learned that the gun smell means danger. But 
he also seems to be very curious about man, and will 
prowl around a camp, or sit on a hill near a tent or a 
home and howl at night. He is both wild and wary.” 
“What does he eat?” 
“Rabbits, gophers, chipmunks, prairie marmots, 
any animal he can catch. Ranchers shoot him be- 
cause he steals calves, lambs, and chickens at times. 
He and his kind have been known to slay deer and 
antelope also. Coyotes hunt in pairs, usually. They 
do most of their hunting in twilight or at night. Some 
people say they are cowards, but this isn't true. A 
coyote will run if a man with a gun and trained hunt¬ 
ing dogs take after him, but he would be foolish not 
to run. If one tame dog attacks him, a coyote will 
probably kill him. He is a good fighter.” 
Uncle Ely had been speaking in a low tone, as the 
family watched the animal. They were very quiet 
so as not to frighten the wild dog away. Then sud¬ 
denly the sound of a gunshot came from a distance. 
