CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
73 
a partially devoured carcass, they knew that Old Split-Foot 
had abandoned his lair and had taken to the woodland and 
cattle range again. It was agreed that they would delay the 
chase until he appeared in a particular region where they felt 
that the terrain of the country would prove most advantageous 
to themselves. It brought great rejoicing when he staged a 
kill in the very region which they had chosen. A broad valley 
led away to the mountains, narrowing gradually, and finally 
ending in a deep gorge with walls so steep that no wolf could 
hope to scale them. Both sides of the valley were fringed with 
a ridge which afforded hunters on horseback a suitable vantage 
point from which to view the chase. They counted upon the 
hounds guarding the broad valley as they drove the wolf be¬ 
fore them. All such details were worked out well in advance 
by the hunters who were to participate in the chase. At their 
“council of war,” to which the wolf was not invited, the plan 
was carefully drawn, even to the minutest detail. It was not 
a healthy situation for the wolf, or would not have appeared 
so had he known what was in store for him at early dawn. 
The chase, once begun, moved along agreeable with precon¬ 
ceived plans. The hunters and hounds gained contact with the 
wolf at the broad end of the valley. They were driving him 
unerringly up the valley in the direction of the gorge. The 
valley was literally dotted with hounds, spread out like a fan 
in the direction of the plains from which the wolf had been 
driven. Seeing that there was no escape for him in that direc¬ 
tion, the horsemen, more nearly resembling a division of cav¬ 
alry than a hunting party, took up their positions, guarding 
both ridges. When all members of the hunting party had taken 
up their positions and were riding recklessly toward the moun¬ 
tain gorge, thrilled over the chase, each speculating as to how 
Old Split-Foot would react to the situation when he found him¬ 
self hopelessly trapped, they suddenly observed that confusion 
reigned supreme in the valley below. 
Now, the pursued one knew every inch of this ground, but 
had not invited just this situation. He knew where this beau¬ 
tiful valley would end. He saw both ridges guarded by horse¬ 
men. He knew also that to his rear was a legion of hounds. 
