Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
, ,
14,
HAP'PY DAYS.
little caves are among the rocks: but they
do very little mischief until cold weather.
Then they have to have something to eat,
and they come out and kill calves and
young cows, particularly when there has
been a hard freeze and much snow."
"Can't you catch thenrin traps?"
"Thunder, no! They are too sharp for
‘ that. They know a tmp. We have tried
to poison them, but they seem to suspect
any meat they did not slaughter them-
selru.“
. "Are they as smart as that?" .
“Yes, an old gray wolf is one of the
smartest animals on four feet."
“flow is it that they have never been
shot down?"
“Because they stay in hiding during the
. day, and when they are out after food on
the ranches at night, the dogs have sense
enough to stay at home. They have been
hunted many times, but they always get
away. We have often found the carcasses
of cows and young calves the next morn-
, ing after they have been feasting on them.
We have trucked them into that piece of
timber many a time, but all the dogs are
zfraid of them and have never been able
‘to lead us into the den they have gone
into." ‘
"Well, we have got to get those wolves,
Benson. 1 have never, shot a wolf in my
life, but if I find their den, I will get them
if I have to camp there a week and have
, you bring my meals to me.
‘;Well, you don’t wantvto be rash about
. "No; I will just wait till the snow covers
the ground, and then their tracks will lead
you to their den, and if I am sure they are
n.- e, they will never get out of there
alive."
“Don't you be too sure of that.
mighty cunning animals."
"Well, can't they be smoked out if we
had their den?" ,
"That might be tried, but it would not
work. All the ranchnien around here think
that the den they go to opens into another
one, and they manage to escape in that
. At any rate, we have never been
able to run them out or get sight of them
in the timber."
"That is strange. Could not two or three
mru go in with revolvers and torches if
we found their retreat?" -
"3295, they could if they had nerve
Pnough 10 (I0 IE. but a. bi; gray wolf is a
mighty dangerous animal to tackle in his
den. in fact, he is more Eerce than a
black bear." , .
“Yes. I guess so, but I think we can
fetch them out, and as they come out, we
can knock them over with our rifles.”
“Well, I don't know how you can get
them out, for we have tried for three years
<to do so. We have stood guard in the
-woods all day long and far into the night,
but a wolf can smell a man a quarter of
A mile a ay. They have a keen scent and
ions of anything that smells like
They are
11. .
, “All right. We will get ready for them
and try it anyhow the next time it snows."
"in order to be sure that they are in the
den, we can trail them." ’
‘All right. NOW. When we ride out on
‘tho rango to-morrow, we had better make
1 run over to Branchvillo, for I want to
buy a bottle of spirits of turpentine.”
"Thunder! What do you want with tur-
pentine? Sprinkle it around the mouth of
the care where the wolves ' J“
"No, I want to put it inside."
. “Great catamounts!" and Benson
chuckled. The next day they rode over to
the town together, where llal bought a
,hottle of spirits of turpentine and s hank
of woolen yarn, and a quarter of a. pound
of cayenne pepper.
"What in thunder are you going to do,
lzlal?" Benson inquired.
“Well. I will tell y u. I am going to
roll up this red pepper in the center of a
D311 0? Yarn nearly as hi as your two
,fists. Then I will soak it in turpentine all
night before I use it. Then we will keep
it. waiting until we have a fall of snow,
and if we can find the troll or the wolves
and are sure of the cave they have gone
into,-set the ball on fire with a match and
then throw it just as far into the cave as
we can.”
Benson shook his head and said: ,
"Oh, we have tried to smoke them out of
the timber several times, but it won’t do.
We filled the mouth ‘of a care we- once
found with leaves and set them ‘on tire, but
it never did any good." >
“That is all right, but you have never
tried burning red pepper on them."
, "No, where did you get mat idea?"
Iiul looked at him and asked:
"Haven't you ever smelled red pepper
‘burning on a. hot stove?"
. "No, I don't think I ever did.” '
“Well, let me tell you, it would make
k ..
. An elephant sneeze his trun off.
“So you intend to‘ make the wolves
sneeze themselves to death."
“No, but they will come out and let us
shoot them, for no animal on earth has a
nose that can stand it. I don't can a snap
‘Whether the smoke reaches them or not,
if they are in the cave, the odor of the red
pepper will rout them out."
“I do not believe it. I will bet a month's
month's wages,
but if I cared to bet I would risk half the
cattle on the ranch, that the wolves will
come out if they do not sneeze themselves
to '
Benson sent word to Mr. liiatthcws to be
ready on the llrst fall of snow o join
he and llal in tracing the wolves. as Hal
had a plan that he claimed would run them
out.
A week later there was in fall or about
four inches or snow, and Hail and Benson
started out all around the range to try and
find the trail of the wolves.
They were not long in finding it, and it
led direct to a cave in the patch of tim-
ber that Benson had spoken of to llal.
’ CHAPTER XIX
now mu. nssrnori-:n rm: wor.vi:s.
As soon as it was known that the wolves
had entered the cave, Benson set off at a
brisk pace for the old rauciiman, Mat-
thews, who promptly summoned two of his
cowboys to go with him, and they came
with rifles.
llal was there with a small tin pail in
which was the hall of yarn as large as a
medium size cocoanut, and an inch or tw
of turpentine. >
It had been soaking all night long.
“Oh, I have got a sort of bombshell for
those wolves. There is their trail inside
“Did you ever do anything of the kind
before?"
“Never, but I know something of the ef-
fect of red pepper when it is burning," and
with that he lifted out of the pail the ball
of yarn on a stick about six feet long. He
ignited it with‘a match, and in a flash it
was a blazing ball of nrc.
' llal held it out before him ‘and went
about Eileen feet into the care. to the great
astonishment of the old rancliman, who
called to him to look out. .
llal knew, though, that the wolves would
not touch the tire hall.
When he had gone as far as he could see
,by the light of the ball, he obsened the
narrow passage through which the wolves
had past‘ . I
lie tossed it as far in as he could and
then came out. , '
lie took up his rifle and told them all to
be ready to shoot anything that came out
of the cave.
In order to avoid shooting each other,
they got up on the rocks above the mouth
of the cave and stood in readiness to hrs.
In a little while a dense. black smoke
began ooz 5 out at the crevices in the
rock above the mouth of the cave, and
some of it came out of the entrance.
Five minutes passed, and the old ranch-
“It won't work. We have tried to smoke
them out with leaves."
“You wait awhile. It has not got down
to the pepper in the center of the ball
yet," said llal. “if it does not drive them
out, they are the only animals in the world ,
than can stand it."
Another Eve minutes passed and then
Benson said:
“Hanged it I don’t hear a sneeze like a
dog’s sneeze." I
“Well, wait and you will hear something
else." I
A few minutes later the wolves were
heard sneezing most rigorously. Finally
they heard 2. woll’s, yelp that had a good
deal of whine in it.
"Look out, now!" said I-Ial. “They will
either come out or die right where they
a ...
e.
The sound of sneezing Went on a few
minutes longer, after which a big gray wolf
came out of the cave, rolling over and over
and sneezing as though his head would
come off. He went through all sorts of
gyratlons and lofty tumblings.
Instantly five rifles blazed at him, not
over thirty feet away, and there was a
dead wolf. ,.
Two others came out just a few minutes
after the valley, an it was comical to
see how they sneezed and turned over and
over; sometimes they made complete som-
ersaults. The rifles also put an end to
them in short order.
Some one remarked that they had them
all. as they had seen the trail or only three
wolves. still Benson thought he heard
more sneezing inside the cavern, and after
waiting awhile, another came out more
dead than alive, and he, too, was quickly
dispatched, making four in all.
“Hal Hawkins,” said the old l‘8.IJCI)lJ'lEI.ll,
“the legislature of this State ought to give. -
‘you a gold medal with n. sneezing wolf on
"I never tried it before,“ said llal, “but
I do know that nothing that breathes can
stand the effect of burning cayenne pepper.
An old showman told me that he once
heard of an elephant sneezing his trunk
of! by inhaling it. Of course I do not be-
-.
F
lleve that, but I do know that some mis-
1
l
chlevous boys put pepper on a.red hot
stove where colored people were he-V1!-IS 3
few times themselves, notwithstanding the
fact that they were out in the ollen air.
“Well,” said hiatthews, “it is something
worth knowing, for I see the odor of the
burning pepper will go where smoke will
"That is the ldea,",ssid Hal. "When
Mr. Benson told me that you had tried to
smoke them out, but could not, I thought
of burning pepper."
"It worked like a charm," said the old
ranchruan. “There are other animals in
this country besides wolves that can
routed out of their dens by the use of this
method."
“Yes, it will run anything out of a hole."
Matthews ordered his two cowboys to
take (:11 the pelts of the wolves, and carry
them over to llal's home.’
“Oh, tii‘:i<le’it with them,” said Hal.
“M boy, you would be entitled to them
if there were titty, We have been trying
for sev ‘al years to get rid of them. They
will bring you a little money, and if you
will take it, I will be glad to pay you ten
dollars spiece for getting rid of them."
“I won't take it," said Hal, “for we have
doubtless lost cattle as well as YOU7’
“All right. It is just as you say. I
think we had all better club together and
buy a barrel of spirits of turpentine and
play the same trick in all the caves of
which we have any knowledgeu There are
a great many in the timber where rocks
are piled up against each other. Coyotes
hide behind them in the day. and at night
are out after calves or anything else that
they can destroy. I will send for the tur-
peutine as well as the yarn if you will
see to making the balls."
“That is a bargain,” said Hal.
- The wolf pelts were sent down to town
in the wagon from Mr. Matthews’ ranch,
which was sent for a barrel of spirits of
turpentine the very next morning.
The driver, of course, told the experience
of the buy rancher, and it caused no little
oxritement. for the extermination of the
wolves in that section had been a problem
in which every one interested in the ranch-
ing business was concerned.
“Well, well," said an old ranchman.
“That tenderfoot from New York has
taught us a few things since he came out
ere. I knew myself that no one could
stay in :1 room where cayenne pepper was
burning unless it had a big chimney with
draught enough to take the odor out im-
mediatcly.”
“Well, I don't believe it would run me
out," said another-a fellow who was al-
ways skeptical about anything that he hap-
pened to be ignorant of.
“Yes, it would," said the cowboy who
brought in the pelts. “You would go out
even if you knew that the sheriff was wait.
ing for you with a rope in his hand. I
stood by and saw the whole thing. The
wolves stand it as long as they could, and
then they came out and gave up their pelts,
and not one of then: had been scorched,
ext . .
"Why, look here,” said one, “I can drink
red pepper in my whlsky."
“Yes, but you could not drink it through
your nose. A man can drink anything hot,
for some of you fellows around here could
swallow a glass of red pepper without
winking, but try it on your nose."
it turned out that there was not a barrel
of spirits ofturpentine in therwhole vil-
lage.
One of the stores had it put up in gal-
lon cans, however.
A half dozen of them were sent out to
the Matthews ranch, together with a good
quantity of woolen yarn.
Scores of people around the place wanted
to go out and try the experiment on
coyotes‘ dens, and presently the little sup-
ply of spirits of turpentine was exhausted,
and many ranchmen who heard of it, rode
‘n to make inquiries about the experi-
ment.
The merchant corroborated the story by
showing the wolf skins. "
The result was that a double quantity of
spirits of turpentine was ordered by the
merchant and also an extra supply of red
pepper.
Pretty soon the story was going the
rounds of the village that one doubting
ranchman had first tried the experiment of
sprinkling red pepper on the stove in the
kitchen of his home.
His family had to camp out in the open
air all day long as a result of the experi-
ment.
Mrs. Hawkins was very proud of the
many compliments that were paid llal for’
his plan of getting rid of the wolves and
coyotes.
He went over to the Matthews place and
spent the entire day. assisted by the girls,
in rolling up the balls with a quarter of
a pound of cayenne ltfillier in each one.
Then they were placed in pails of spirits
of turpentine to soak.
um.
Hm .
-ever worked satisfactorily, and many con-
. The girls were enthusiastic in the work.
particularly Bettie, and even mischievous
Mary took a. hand in the work.
A day or two later a ranchman invited
several others to come over to his place,
and go out on 8. wolf-destroying expedition
with hi
at an early hour the next day. I
Cowboys were present who knew all the ‘
caves among the rocky ridges where the
coyotes usually took refuge in the day- I
time. t
The first one they struck was about three ’
miles from the Hawkins home. Benson
had to remain at the place as the widow re-
fused to be left alone. '
They made straight for the place. and
when they reached there, they were not
,,,r...
m- L
llal was invited, too, and he joined them
sure whether there were any coyotes or
wolves in it or not.
had brought a dog along for fear‘of get-
ting it hurt when the wolves or coyotes
dashed out of the caves in which they were ,‘
found. ‘ '
Hal had prepared a sharp stick dye or ‘ "
six feet long and ‘he went as far inside as-
he could and tossed the blazing ball for-
ward and then came out.
To avoid danger to themselves, the others
who were armed with rifles and shotguns,
stood to one side.
They waited patiently
hall was nearly consumed.
It dually struck the pepper which was
also soaked with turpentine and they soon
heard sneezing. ‘
Every one of them was on the look-out
for the animals.
After awhile two big gray wolves came
out rolling and tumbling and sneezing with
their eyes closed tig
until the burning
Y. ,
Of course they were quickly dispatched. f
The ranchmen were highly delighted, and V -
they declared it to be the only remedy that
gratulatlons were showered on the boy
rancher. ,,
‘The next den they struck “had several‘ 3
coyotes in . . p
Generally each coyote family has a. little
den of its own, but sometimes several live
together in the same place, and such was
the case in the one they were now after.
7' ’ CHAPTER xx.
‘run i-iusr vvnzrnn ox rm; mxcn.
’ The coyotes could not stand the burning
red pepper any more than wolves could,
and soon they came tumbling out.
The coyote is a pretty shrewd animal
and had not the pepper blinded them some
of them would surely have got away.
Their actions were quite different from
the wolves. It is an inherent instinct of
theirs that safety depends upon flight-
There is nothing on four feet that can out- ’
run them except the jackrahbit; so, when
they shot out of the cave, some of them
Would turn a complete somersault, sneez-
ing and coughing, but as soon as their feet
touched the ground, they would run. 35
though unconscious of what they were do-
I
118‘.
One struck a large tree square with the
tip of his nose and almost broke every
bone in his body.
They got seven out of that one. cave,
which was considered an extraordinary
thing.
They went down the ridge nenrll 5V9
miles further to where one of the cow-
boys said that a pair of catamcunts had at '
den. '
T y are a very dangerous animal‘ and
they do a lot of mischief among the cattle,
especially among the calves.
Two big catamounts could easily kill the ‘
largest steer on a.ny‘ra.uch. '
When they reached the spot, they saw it
Was a deep cavern, -and the question arose
as to who should go in to cast the big,
blazing ilro ball.
"I will go in." said llal.
"I.ook‘hcre, Hawkins,” said one of the
ranchmen, “you probably don't know what
a dangerous animal the full grown cata-
rnouut is.’ . r .
“Yes, I do, but there is no animal in the '1
world that will attack a blazing ball of ,
fire. Put one on the end of a stick and
you can but a Bengal tiger to night.‘ If
there are a dozen cstamounts in there, they
will creep as far back as they can when
they see the tire. Now, I went two torches,
and both set aiire at one time. I can toss
one as far in as possible and use the other
as a safeguard in coming out again.
'"l‘hat boy has got more sense than all
of us put-together,“ said a cowboy. “I
know, too, that no animal will tackle are. T
I -‘have been out on camp hunts in the
Rockies. where there are black bear, grizzly
bear and mountain lions, and they all keep ' ‘
away from the fire." .
Hal lighted the two tire balls and boldly
marched into the cavern, holding them in
front of him. , i
It afforded him a good light and he was
amazed at the size of the cave.
He went in nearly titty feet.
Then be tossed hotli of the blazing balls
as torus he could and ran out, thinking it
