animal heroes-第27节

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the　ground；　going　twice　as　fast　as　the　Wolf。　In　a　minute　the
Hound　was　alongside　and　snapped；　but　bounded　back；　as　the　Wolf
turned　on　him。　They　were　just　below　us　now　and　not　fifty　feet
away。　Garvin　drew　his　revolver；　but　in　a　fateful　moment　Hilton
interfered：　〃　No；　no；　let's　see　it　out。〃　In　a　few　seconds　the
next　Greyhound　arrived；　then　the　rest　in　order　of　swiftness。　Each
came　up　full　of　fight　and　fury；　determined　to　go　right　in　and
tear　the　Gray…wolf　to　pieces；　but　each　in　turn　swerved　aside；　and
leaped　and　barked　around　at　a　safe　distance。　After　a　minute　or　so
the　Russians　appearedfine　big　Dogs　they　were。　　Their　distant
intention　no　doubt　was　to　dash　right　at　the　old　Wolf；　but　his
fearless　front；　his　sinewy　frame　and　death…dealing　jaws；　awed
them　long　before　they　were　near　him；　and　they　also　joined　the
ring；　while　the　desperado　in　the　middle　faced　this　way　and　that；
ready　for　any　or　all。

Now　the　Danes　came　up；　huge…limbed　creatures；　any　one　of　them　as
heavy　as　the　Wolf。　　I　heard　their　heavy　breathing　tighten　into　a
threatening　sound　as　they　plunged　ahead；　eager　to　tear　the　foe　to
pieces；　but　when　they　saw　him　there；　grim　fearless；　mighty　of
jaw；　tireless　of　limb；　ready　to　die　if　need　be；　but　sure　of　this；
he　would　not　die　alonewell；　those　great　Danesall　three　of
themwere　stricken；　as　the　rest　had　been；　with　a　sudden
bashfulness：　Yes；　they　would　go　right　in　presentlynot　now；　but
as　soon　as　they　had　got　their　breath；　they　were　not　afraid　of　a
Wolf；　oh；　no。　　I　could　read　their　courage　in　their　voices。　　They
knew　perfectly　well　that　the　first　Dog　to　go　in　was　going　to　get
hurt；　but　never　mind　thatpresently；　they　would　bark　a　little
more　to　get　up　enthusiasm。

And　as　the　ten　big　Dogs　were　leaping　round　the　silent　Wolf　at
bay；　there　was　a　rustling　in　the　sage　at　the　far　side　of　place；
then　a　snow…white　rubber　ball；　it　seemed；　came　bounding；　but　grew
into　a　little　Bull…terrier；　and　Snap；　slowest　of　the　pack；　and
last；　came　panting　hard；　so　hard　he　seemed　gasping。　　Over　the
level　open　he　made；　straight　to　the　changing　ring　around　the
Cattle…killer　whom　none　dared　face。　　Did　he　hesitate？　Not　for　an
instant；　through　the　ring　of　the　yelping　pack；　straight　for　the
old　despot　of　range；　right　for　his　throat　he　sprang；　and　the
Gray…wolf　struck　with　his　twenty　scimitars。　But　the　little　one；
if　fooled　at　all；　sprang　again；　and　then　what　came　I　hardly　knew。
There　was　a　whirling　mass　of　Dogs。　I　thought　I　saw　the　little
White　One　clinched　on　the　Gray…wolf's　nose。　The　pack　was　all
around；　we　could　not　help　them　now。　　But　they　did　not　need　us；
they　had　a　leader　of　dauntless　mettle；　and　when　in　a　little　while
the　final　scene　was　done；　there　on　the　ground　lay　the　Gray…wolf；
a　giant　of　his　kind；　and　clinched　on　his　nose　was　the　little
white　Dog。

We　were　standing　around　within　fifteen　feet；　ready　to　help；　but
had　no　chance　till　were　not　needed。

The　Wolf　was　dead；　and　I　hallooed　to　Snap；　but　he　did　not　move。　
I　bent　over　him。　〃SnapSnap；　it's　all　over；　you've　killed　him。〃
But　the　Dog　was　very　still；　and　now　I　saw　two　deep　wounds　in　his
body。　　I　tried　to　lift　him。　〃Let　go；　old　fellow；　it's　all　over。〃
He　growled　feebly；　and　at　last　go　of　the　Wolf。　The　rough
cattle…men　were　kneeling　around　him　now；　old　Penroof's　voice　was
trembling　as　he　muttered；　〃I　wouldn't　had　him　hurt　for　twenty
steers。〃　　I　lifted　him　in　my　arms；　called　to　him　and　stroked　his
head。　　He　snarled　a　little；　a　farewell　as　it　proved；　for　he
licked　my　hand　as　he　did　so；　then　never　snarled　again。

That　was　a　sad　ride　home　for　me。　There　was　the　skin　of　a
monstrous　Wolf；　but　no　other　hint　of　triumph。　　We　buried　the
fearless　one　on　a　butte　back　of　the
Ranch…house。　　Penroof；　as　he　stood　by；　was　heard　to　grumble：　〃By
jingo；　that　was　gritcl'ar　grit！　　Ye　can't　raise　Cattle　without
grit。〃


THE　WINNIPEG　WOLF

I

It　was　during　the　great　blizzard　of　1882　that　I　first　met　the
Winnipeg　Wolf。　I　had　left　St。　Paul　in　the　middle　of　March　to
cross　the　prairies　to　Winnipeg；　expecting　to　be　there　in
twenty…four　hours；　but　the　Storm　King　had　planned　it　otherwise
and　sent　a　heavy…laden　eastern　blast。　The　snow　came　down　in　a
furious；　steady　torrent；　hour　after　hour。　Never　before　had　I　seen
such　a　storm。　All　the　world　was　lost　in　snowsnow；　snow；
snowwhirling；　biting；　stinging；　drifting　snowand　the　puffing；
monstrous　engine　was　compelled　to　stop　at　the　command　of　those
tiny　feathery　crystals　of　spotless　purity。

Many　strong　hands　with　shovels　came　to　the　delicately　curled
snowdrifts　that　barred　our　way；　and　in　an　hour　the　engine　could
passonly　to　stick　in　another　drift　yet　farther　on。　It　was
dreary　workday　after　day；　night　after　night；　sticking　in　the
drifts；　digging　ourselves　out；　and　still　the　snow　went　whirling
and　playing　about　us。

〃Twenty…two　hours　to　Emerson；〃　said　the　official；　but　nearly　two
weeks　of　digging　passed　before　we　did　reach　Emerson；　and　the
poplar　country　where　the　thickets　stop　all　drifting　of　the　snow。
Thenceforth　the　train　went　swiftly；　the　poplar　woods　grew　more
thicklywe　passed　for　miles　through　solid　forests；　then　perhaps
through　an　open　space。　As　we　neared　St。　Boniface；　the　eastern
outskirts　of　Winnipeg；　we　dashed　across　a　little　glade　fifty
yards　wide；　and　there　in　the　middle　was　a　group　that　stirred　me
to　the　very　soul。

In　plain　view　was　a　great　rabble　of　Dogs；　large　and　small；　black；
white；　and　yellow；　wriggling　and　heaving　this　way　and　that　way　in
a　rude　ring；　to　one　side　was　a　little　yellow　Dog　stretched　and
quiet　in　the　snow；　on　the　outer　part　of　the　ring　was　a　huge　black
Dog　bounding　about　and　barking；　but　keeping　ever　behind　the
moving　mob。　And　in　the　midst；　the　centre　and　cause　of　it　all；　was
a　great；　grim；　Wolf。

Wolf？　He　looked　like　a　Lion。　There　he　stood；　all
aloneresolute…calm…　with　bristling　mane；　and　legs　braced
firmly；　glancing　this　way　and　that；　to　be　ready　for　an　attack　in
any　direction。　There　was　a　curl　on　his　lipsit　looked　like
scorn；　but　I　suppose　it　was　really　the　fighting　snarl　of　tooth
display。　Led　by　a　wolfish…looking　Dog　that　should　have　been
ashamed；　the　pack　dashed　in；　for　the　twentieth　time　no　doubt。　But
the　great　gray　form　leaped　here　and　there；　and　chop；　chop；　chop
went　those　fearful　jaws；　no　other　sound　from　the　lonely　warrior；
but　a　death　yelp　from　more　than　one　of　his　foes；　as　those　that
were　able　again　sprang　back；　and　left　him　statuesque　as　before；
untamed；　unmaimed；　and　contemptuous　of　them　all。

How　I　wished　for　the　train　to　stick　in　a　snowdrift　now；　as　so
often　before；　for　all　my　heart　went　out　to　that　Gray…wolf；　I
longed　to　go　and　help　him。　But　the　snow…deep　glade　flashed　by；
the　poplar　trunks　shut　out　the　view；　and　we　went　on　to　our
journey's　end。

This　was　all　I　saw；　and　it　seemed　little；　but　before　many　days
had　passed　I　knew　surely　that　I　had　been　favored　with　a　view；　in
broad　daylight；　of　a　rare　and　wonderful　creature；　none　less　than
the　Winnipeg　Wolf。

His　was　a　strange　historya　Wolf　that　preferred　the　city　to　the
country；　that　passed　by　the　Sheep　to　kill　the　Dogs；　and　that
always　hunted　alone。

In　telling　the　story　of　le　Garou；　as　he　was　called　by　some；
although　I　speak　of　these　things　as　locally　familiar；　it　is　very
sure　that　to　many　citizens　of　the　town　they　were　quite　unknown。
The　smug　shopkeeper　on　the　main　street　had　scarcely　heard　of　him
until　the　day　after　the　final　scene　at　the　slaughter…house；　when
his　great　carcass　was　carried　to　Hine's　taxidermist　shop　and
there　mounted；　to　be　exhibited　later　at　the　Chicago　World's　Fair；
and　to　be　destroyed；　alas！　in　the　fire　that　reduced　the　Mulvey
Grammar　School　to　ashes　in　1896。


II

It　seems　that　Fiddler　Paul；　the　handsome　ne'er…do…well　of　the
half…breed　world；　readier　to　hunt　than　to　work；　was　prowling　with
his　gun　along　the　wooded　banks　of　the　Red　River　by　Kildonan；　one
day　in　the　June　of　1880。　He　saw　a　Gray…wo1f　come　out　of　a　hole　in
a　bank　and　fired　a　chance　shot　that　killed　it。　Having　made　sure；
by　sending　in　his　Dog；　that　no　other　large　Wolf　was　there；　he
crawled　into　the　den；　and　found；　to　his　utter　amazement　and
delight；　eight　young　Wolves　nine　bounties　of　ten　dollars　each。
How　much　is　that？　A　fortune　surely。　He　used　a　stick　vigorously；
and　with　the　assistance　of　the　yellow　Cur；　all　the　little　ones
were　killed　but　one。　There　is　a　superstition　about　the　last　of　a
broodit　is　not　lucky　to　kill　it。　So　Paul　set　out　for　town　with
the　scalp　of　the　old　Wolf；　the　scalps　of　the　seven　young；　and　the
last　Cub　alive。

The　saloon…keeper；　who　got　the　dollars　for　which　the　scalps　were
exchanged；　soon　got　the　living　Cub。　He　grew　up　at　the　end　of　a
chain；　but　developed　a　chest　and　jaws　that　no　Hound　in　town　could
match。　He　was　kept　in　the　yard　for　the　amusement　of　customers；
and　this　amusement　usually　took　the　form　of　baiting　the　captive
with　Dogs。　The　young　Wolf　was　bitten　and　mauled　nearly　to　death
on　several　occasions；　but　he　recovered；　and　each　month　there　were
fewer　Dogs　willing　to　face　him。　His　life　was　as　hard　as　it　could
be。　There　was　but　one　gleam　of　gentleness　in　it　all；　and　that　was
the　friendship　that　grew　up　between　himself　and　Little　Jim；　the
son　of　the　saloonkeeper。

Jim　was　a　wilful　little　rascal　with　a　mind　of　his　own