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curious to compare the totally different styles of riding of the
cowboys and the cross…country men。 A stock…saddle weighs thirty or
forty pounds instead of ten or fifteen and needs an utterly different
seat from that adopted in the East。 A cowboy rides with very long
stirrups； sitting forked well down between his high pommel and cantle；
and depends upon balance as well as on the grip of his thighs。 In
cutting out a steer from a herd； in breaking a vicious wild horse； in
sitting a bucking bronco； in stopping a night stampede of many hundred
maddened animals； or in the performance of a hundred other feats of
reckless and daring horsemanship； the cowboy is absolutely unequalled；
and when he has his own horse gear he sits his animal with the ease of
a centaur。 Yet he is quite helpless the first time he gets astride one
of the small eastern saddles。 One summer； while purchasing cattle in
Iowa； one of my ranch foremen had to get on an ordinary saddle to ride
out of town and see a bunch of steers。 He is perhaps the best rider on
the ranch； and will without hesitation mount and master beasts that I
doubt if the boldest rider in one of our eastern hunts would care to
tackle； yet his uneasiness on the new saddle was fairly comical。 At
first he did not dare to trot and the least plunge of the horse bid
fair to unseat him； nor did he begin to get accustomed to the
situation until the very end of the journey。 In fact； the two kinds of
riding are so very different that a man only accustomed to one； feels
almost as ill at ease when he first tries the other as if he had never
sat on a horse's back before。 It is rather funny to see a man who only
knows one kind； and is conceited enough to think that that is really
the only kind worth knowing； when first he is brought into contact
with the other。 Two or three times I have known men try to follow
hounds on stock…saddles； which are about as ill…suited for the purpose
as they well can be； while it is even more laughable to see some young
fellow from the East or from England who thinks he knows entirely too
much about horses to be taught by barbarians； attempt in his turn to
do cow…work with his ordinary riding or hunting rig。 It must be said；
however； that in all probability cowboys would learn to ride well
across country much sooner than the average cross…country rider would
master the dashing and peculiar style of horsemanship shown by those
whose life business is to guard the wandering herds of the great
western plains。
Of course； riding to hounds； like all sports in long settled； thickly
peopled countries； fails to develop in its followers some of the hardy
qualities necessarily incident to the wilder pursuits of the mountain
and the forest。 While I was on the frontier I was struck by the fact
that of the men from the eastern States or from England who had shown
themselves at home to be good riders to hounds or had made their
records as college athletes； a larger proportion failed in the life of
the wilderness than was the case among those who had gained their
experience in such rough pastimes as mountaineering in the high Alps；
winter caribou…hunting in Canada； or deer…stalkingnot deer…driving
in Scotland。
Nevertheless； of all sports possible in civilized countries； riding to
hounds is perhaps the best if followed as it should be； for the sake
of the strong excitement； with as much simplicity as possible； and not
merely as a fashionable amusement。 It tends to develop moral no less
than physical qualities； the rider needs nerve and head； he must
possess daring and resolution； as well as a good deal of bodily skill
and a certain amount of wiry toughness and endurance。
CHAPTER VIII。
WOLVES AND WOLF…HOUNDS。
The wolf is the arch type of ravin； the beast of waste and desolation。
It is still found scattered thinly throughout all the wilder portions
of the United States； but has everywhere retreated from the advance of
civilization。
Wolves show an infinite variety in color； size； physical formation；
and temper。 Almost all the varieties intergrade with one another；
however； so that it is very difficult to draw a hard and fast line
between any two of them。 Nevertheless； west of the Mississippi there
are found two distinct types。 One is the wolf proper； or big wolf；
specifically akin to the wolves of the eastern States。 The other is
the little coyote； or prairie wolf。 The coyote and the big wolf are
found together in almost all the wilder districts from the Rio Grande
to the valleys of the upper Missouri and the upper Columbia。
Throughout this region there is always a sharp line of demarkation；
especially in size； between the coyotes and the big wolves of any
given district； but in certain districts the big wolves are very much
larger than their brethren in other districts。 In the upper Columbia
country； for instance； they are very large； along the Rio Grande they
are small。 Dr。 Hart Merriam informs me that； according to his
experience； the coyote is largest in southern California。 In many
respects the coyote differs altogether in habits from its big
relative。 For one thing it is far more tolerant of man。 In some
localities coyotes are more numerous around settlements； and even in
the close vicinity of large towns； than they are in the frowning and
desolate fastnesses haunted by their grim elder brother。
Big wolves vary far more in color than the coyotes do。 I have seen
white； black； red； yellow； brown； gray； and grizzled skins； and others
representing every shade between； although usually each locality has
its prevailing tint。 The grizzled； gray； and brown often have
precisely the coat of the coyote。 The difference in size among wolves
of different localities； and even of the same locality； is quite
remarkable； and so； curiously enough； is the difference in the size of
the teeth； in some cases even when the body of one wolf is as big as
that of another。 I have seen wolves from Texas and New Mexico which
were undersized； slim animals with rather small tusks； in no way to be
compared to the long…toothed giants of their race that dwell in the
heavily timbered mountains of the Northwest and in the far North。 As a
rule； the teeth of the coyote are relatively smaller than those of the
gray wolf。
Formerly wolves were incredibly abundant in certain parts of the
country； notably on the great plains； where they were known as buffalo
wolves； and were regular attendants on the great herds of the bison。
Every traveller and hunter of the old days knew them as among the most
common sights of the plains； and they followed the hunting parties and
emigrant trains for the sake of the scraps left in camp。 Now； however；
there is no district in which they are really abundant。 The wolfers；
or professional wolf…hunters； who killed them by poisoning for the
sake of their fur； and the cattlemen； who likewise killed them by
poisoning because of their raids on the herds； have doubtless been the
chief instruments in working their decimation on the plains。 In the
'70's； and even in the early '80's； many tens of thousands of wolves
were killed by the wolfers in Montana and northern Wyoming and western
Dakota。 Nowadays the surviving wolves of the plains have learned
caution； they no longer move abroad at midday； and still less do they
dream of hanging on the footsteps of hunter and traveler。 Instead of
being one of the most common they have become one of the rarest sights
of the plains。 A hunter may wander far and wide through the plains for
months nowadays and never see a wolf； though he will probably see many
coyotes。 However； the diminution goes on； not steadily but by fits and
starts； and moreover； the beasts now and then change their abodes； and
appear in numbers in places where they have been scarce for a long
period。 In the present winter of 1892…'93 big wolves are more
plentiful in the neighborhood of my ranch than they have been for ten
years； and have worked some havoc among the cattle and young horses。
The cowboys have been carrying on the usual vindictive campaign
against them； a number have been poisoned； and a number of others have
fallen victims to their greediness； the cowboys surprising them when
gorged to repletion on the carcass of a colt or calf； and； in
consequence； unable to run； so that they are easily ridden down；
roped； and then dragged to death。
Yet even the slaughter wrought by man in certain localities does not
seem adequate to explain the scarcity or extinction of wolves；
throughout the country at large。 In most places they are not followed
any more eagerly than are the other large beasts of prey； and they are
usually followed with less success。 Of all animals the wolf is the
shyest and hardest to slay。 It is almost or quite as difficult to
still…hunt as the cougar； and is far more difficult to kill with
hounds； traps； or poison； yet it scarcely holds its own as well as the
great cat； and it does not begin to hold its own as well as the bear；
a beast certainly never more readily killed； and one which produces
fewer young at a birth。 Throughout the East the black bear is common
in many localities from which the