262 A STAMPEDE. Book II. 
wolves and buffaloes were continually crossing the river in 
our neighbourhood. As long as the plain is covered with 
buffaloes, the wolves are in no want of food, and some 
generally accompany the herd in their wanderings. We 
and our animals had nothing to fear from them ; but our 
stock of meat had to be nightly defended by our dog. 
Enticed by the meat, the wolves, as well as the smaller 
species, called by the Mexicans the Coyote, 1 approached 
so near us, that, if the shooting without necessity at night 
had not been against the rules of travelling, I could every 
moonlight night have shot one of these animals of prey 
without rising from my couch. I was told that in Nica- 
ragua the coyotes, when in great numbers, have actually 
ventured to attack men ; but in the prairies I never heard 
of such an occurrence. Although our mules were in no 
actual danger from the wolves and coyotes, they were 
continually disturbed by these nocturnal invaders stealing 
around us, whose visits may easily be attended by serious 
consequences. 
One night, when encamped on the Arkansas, I was on 
guard at about a thousand paces from our camp. Near 
me was a white mule, which always used to graze with its 
head turned away from the others, and invariably outside 
the drove of mules, as if it were their sentinel. As I 
happened to be looking at the animal it suddenly left off 
grazing, and looked into the darkness in a watchful and 
wary manner. On a sudden it snorted loudly and made a 
tremendous bound backwards : the whole drove, consisting 
of two hundred animals, was simultaneously seized with a 
like panic, and rushed off at full speed. All this happened 
so instantaneously, that before I had recovered from my 
An Aztec name — coyotl. 
