ON BUSINESS OF HIS OWN.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2293, 5 January 1900, Page 6

ON BUSINESS OF HIS OWN.

" While following the life of the gentle shepherd on the plains of Montana a couple of years ago, I used," says an Americn writer, "to watch the wolves a great deal while tending the sheep, and though I usually had my good rifle in my hand, I once had the opportunity of facing a wolf emptyhanded, and I don't knon which was the worse scared. It happened thus: " The sheep had bunched during the heat of the day upon one slope of a little valley, and I occupied the opposite slope, the better to see that they came to no harm, and since I knew that they would not move for hours, I was taking a bit of a doze, now and then opening my eyes wide enough to see my sheep and then"dropping off again with my face on my arms, stretched out on the hot rock. Suddenly when I looked up in a dazed condition, I became aware that a very large wolf was coming right at me, not sixty yards away, his red tongue lolling out, and his yellow summer coat reminding me of a hyena at first sight, coming as I did 30 abruptly from the land of nod. I actually thought it was his intention to try me a couple of rounds, as he did not notice the sheep, as he was coming straight in my direction with murder in his eyes, I thought. Being without arms, as it happened, my first impulse was to snatch up a stone and let him have it, and it was when I jumped up that he seemed to see me for the first time. He turned tail for all the world like a huge cur dog, and loped off with many a fearsome glance over his shoulder. The stone did not quite reach him, but when he saw it coming he put his tails between his legs, exactly as a dog would have done under similar circumstances, and if I could have hit him I am satisfied he would have ki-yied. I had to laugh at his comical aspect and at myself tor being so rattled, but I did not leave my rifle in camp very often after that, not because I had any idea that the wolves would tackle me, but because it ' broke me all up ' to miss so good a shot. The probability is that this wolf had no evil design in his head, either towards the sheep or the shepherd, but happened to be headed my way while travelling across country on business of his own. Probably he was more startled by my sudden appeararce in the way than by my projectile, or my ferocious aspect."