Pathfinding on Plain and Prairie: Stirring Scenes of Life in the Canadian North-westMcDougall, John
History
Pathfinding on Plain and Prairie: Stirring Scenes of Life in the Canadian North-west
McDougall, John
Frontier and pioneer life -- Northwest, Canadian; McDougall, John, 1842-1917; Northwest, Canadian -- Description and travel
While on this trip I had two experiences worth relating. I was
riding ahead and had my little daughter Flora in the saddle with me.
My sleigh dogs, who were now big and fat, were with me. Presently,
passing near a shallow lakelet, I caught sight of a moulting goose
making for the grass. Dropping my little girl down by the path, and
telling her to pick flowers and stay quiet, that "papa would come
back soon," I galloped over to the spot where I saw the goose
disappear. Of course, all the dogs came with me, and very soon we
found the goose. I quickly wrung its neck, and remounting my horse
dashed back to where my child was, and away bounded the pack of dogs
also. The goose hunt had excited them, and they were racing one
another; and now I saw that if I did not reach the child before they
did, the strong possibility was the wild brutes would tear the little
one to pieces. The race was short and quick, but my intense fear
made it seem like an age.
The dogs and I reached the child about the same time, and I flung
myself from the horse and clutched my little girl, and then fairly
danced for joy that I had her safe in my arms again.
Going on we came to Bear's Hill Creek, and as the day was warm both
horse and dogs began to drink. As I sat in the saddle talking to my
child, I happened to look down the stream, and there I saw a big
wolverine come out to the water's edge to quench its thirst. Close
to me was a hound called Bruce. I quietly said "Bruce," and pointed
down the creek. The quick-eyed fellow saw the wolverine, bounded
away, and was close upon him before the wolverine saw him. Then he
made a jump for the brush, but Bruce ran his nose between his enemy's
hind legs and fairly turned him over with the impetus of his run.
Then the whole pack came up, and I sat on my horse and looked on a
terrific fight between the dozen dogs and the one wolverine. It did
not seem fair, but the wolverine was a big fellow and a born fighter,
and he was fighting for his life. He scratched and bit every one of
those dogs, and held his own for some time, but at last a big black
dog, a powerful brute, got his massive jaws on both sides of the
wolverine's brain and crunched it right in, and the wild fellow was
dead. I verily believe that in all the big North-West there will not
be a single mourner for him, such is the Ishmaelitish record of these
animals.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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