Scouting with Kit CarsonTomlinson, Everett T. (Everett Titsworth)
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Scouting with Kit Carson
Tomlinson, Everett T. (Everett Titsworth)
Carson, Kit, 1809-1868 -- Juvenile fiction
Not far away a buffalo calf was running directly toward the camp,
evidently exerting itself to the utmost of its strength. Behind it in
swift pursuit were following two long, gaunt wolves.
“It is so scared,” Reuben suggested, “that it probably has taken us for
a herd of buffaloes.”
The calf by this time had in all likelihood discovered its mistake, but
with undiminished speed it was continuing on its way directly through
the camp.
The wolves, however, swiftly moved in a circuit outside the camp, so
that the fugitive secured a slight gain on its enemies, and in a moment
was straining every nerve to reach a large herd which now could be seen
at the foot of the hills not more than two miles away.
“Why didn’t you shoot, Jean?” inquired Reuben.
The trapper shook his head as he replied, “No waste powder.”
“It isn’t wasting powder to shoot one of those wolves!” replied Reuben.
“It’s one of the best pieces of work you can do! Look yonder! It almost
seems as if they had come up out of the ground. There’s one, two,
three, four, five more now that have joined the two already there.”
In silence the two trappers watched the pursuit, and in a brief time
they saw that the number of wolves had increased to twenty or more.
Indeed, the helpless victim was overtaken long before it could find a
refuge among its fellows. The little animal fell an easy prey to its
savage pursuers and was half devoured even before it was dead.
“I wish I had shot heem,” muttered Jean.
“If one of our horses had been saddled I would have helped out the
little beggar. I wonder why it is that one always feels that he wants
the weaker side to win?” inquired Reuben.
Jean shrugged his shoulders, but made no reply, and once more resumed
his task over the fire. Silence rested over the region, for Reuben was
caring for the horses while his friend was busy with his labours.
“I no think they fight mooch,” said Jean in a low voice.
Reuben hastily glanced up at the words of his friend, as for a moment
the flight of the buffalo calf had been forgotten. Looking in the
direction indicated by Jean, he saw that four or five buffaloes had
advanced from the herd, keeping well together, and were moving toward
the pack of wolves that still were busy over what remained of the
unfortunate calf.
“Perhaps they won’t,” responded Reuben, “but they are going to do
something which is almost as bad.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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