Editor’s Word: This story about “Catch’em Alive” John Abernathy was initially revealed within the August 1932 subject of Outside Life. Abernathy’s exploits as an expert wolf-catcher gained large publicity and finally gained the admiration and friendship of President Theodore Roosevelt. The president finally appointed Abernathy the US Marshal for Oklahoma Territory. What follows is Abernathy’s first story of the highlights of his profession, informed to OL editor Monroe H. Goode. Disclaimer: this story consists of some violent anecdotes, during which canine are killed.
The dauntless braveness displayed by a trustworthy canine in mortal fight with a ferocious lobo was chargeable for my profession and took me from the cow camps, by no means to return.
It was the spring of 1892 and the annual round-up of the north plains nation was about to begin. Though solely sixteen years of age, I used to be a full-fledged cowhand on the Goodnight Ranch, commonly generally known as the JA Ranch. As we had been beginning on the drive, our vary boss got here to me and stated: “Abernathy, I understand how effectively you wish to hunt, so I’m going to make an exception in your case and allow you to take your two greyhounds with you on the round-up. You could have an opportunity to get your self a wolf.”
I vastly appreciated this courtesy, for I most popular wolf-coursing to another type of out of doors sport. I had participated in a whole lot of chases earlier than and my canine had killed most of the small prairie wolves; or coyotes, however they’d by no means caught a lobo, which is a really massive animal comparable to the massive timber wolf of the North; so once I noticed two lobos on the second day trip, I began the chase with appreciable misgivings.
Maybe my emotions had been akin to these of a commander whose troops had been about to expertise their first baptism of fireplace. The fleet greyhounds quickly drew away from me, and I in flip outdistanced my companions.
The race was a spirited one and several other miles had been coated earlier than my canine overtook the hindmost wolf, a ferocious animal of giant proportions. A terrific combat ensued. By the point I arrived on the scene, the massive wolf had slashed one of many canine throughout the stomach and the poor creature’s entrails had been dragging the bottom, rendering her ineffective as a fighter.
Hesitating not a second the wounded canine intentionally positioned her hind legs on the entrails and gave a vicious jerk in a useless effort to tear them out in order to get on the wolf. This was the nerviest factor I had ever seen.
The wolf was getting one of the best of the different canine and I knew that until I intervened, he would severely wound him, too. I used to be so incensed on the lobo that, throwing discretion to the wind, I leaped off my horse and entered the fray. The wolf without delay turned upon me. I threw up my proper hand and accidentally thrust it immediately into the wolf’s mouth and we rolled over within the mud. Instantly realizing that if the wolf closed his jaws I’d be severely injured, I pressed my proper hand as far again into his mouth as potential, grasped his below jaw firmly, and located that he was helpless as far as biting that hand was involved.
We lay there, the wolf struggling along with his physique however apparently unable to do me any harm. I positioned my left hand over the wolf’s muzzle, which vastly assisted me in steadying the struggling animal, however I failed to take into consideration the dexterity of his highly effective paws and paid dearly for my shortsightedness. Simply once I thought I had him at my mercy, he gave a fast jerk with a entrance leg and succeeded in breaking my maintain on his muzzle, however I nonetheless held onto his decrease jaw with a loss of life grip.
In an unguarded second I moved my left arm close to his mouth, and in a flash he buried certainly one of his sharp fangs within the flesh of my arm. It felt just like the reduce of a razor, and I knew that it had penetrated to the bone; the blood began flowing freely, a part of it pouring immediately into the brute’s mouth, and each infrequently I may hear him gulping it down.
We lay there struggling for less than a half hour, but it surely appeared ages. I used to be getting weak from the lack of blood and starting to despair of ever getting away alive, once I heard the sound of a horse approaching at full velocity, and I felt certain there was somebody on the horse due to the regularity of the hoof beats. The rider proved to be my brother Van, and I used to be by no means in all my life extra glad to see anybody. Advancing with pistol in hand, he was simply within the act of taking pictures the wolf once I stated: “Don’t shoot him. Get that baling wire off the curb of my bridle and, we are going to tie him up. I wish to take him to the chuck wagon alive.” And this we did.
Van and I had been standing guard that night time however at different watches, so I requested the vary boss if we would journey collectively, as I had left my wounded canine 20 miles behind and I needed to take her some meals and, if potential, to do one thing for her.
I used to be grateful when he consented to the association. As quickly as we got here off guard at 4:30 the following morning, we rode to the scene of the combat.
The sorely wounded creature evidenced her pleasure at our strategy by beating the bottom along with her entrance paws and by wagging her tail affectionately, and, if I reside to be 100 years previous, I shall always remember the look of gratitude that beamed from her blood-shot, feverish eyes.
With heavy hearts, we tenderly changed her entrails. sewed up the gaping wound, and bathed it with cool water. She couldn’t take the meals we supplied however she sought to quench her burning thirst by lapping up nice portions of water from the highest of my hat, which I common right into a receptacle.
Little did I believe that our labor of affection was misdirected. The water we thought so life-giving no sooner reached her abdomen than she went into violent convulsions and, by tear moistened eyes, we noticed her breathe her final.
Her loss of life was a terrific loss to me, and, boy-like, I grieved for days. When the wolf slashed my arm, he tore out part of the tendon and one finish was hanging unfastened. We had been 100 miles from a physician, and as not one of the boys would reduce it off for concern that blood poison would set in if dealt with in such crude trend, I bandaged the arm with a handkerchief.
Three days later I occurred to go an previous deserted shed and the very first thing that attracted my consideration was a pair of sheep shears — they’d in all probability hung there for years — rusty and dirt be grimed; however I clipped off the tendon with them and thankfully suffered no unwell results from my rash act.
I had had a slim escape however I used to be delighted with the result regardless of my injured arm and the lack of my canine, as a result of I had discovered find out how to catch wolves alive. I’ve been doing it ever since, though very hardly ever in recent times. By the way, I shall carry to my grave the scar of my first encounter with a lobo.
The catching of my first wolf was purely unintended. Nevertheless, since I had made the invention, I rapidly actualized the potential of good-looking returns for my efforts. There was a gentle demand for reside wolves, many zoos being keen to pay $5 or extra per wolf. I discovered that I may common about 4 wolves a day in chilly climate, thus affording me a each day earnings of $20, much less minor expenses, which was a number of cash in these days at the least to me. It beat all hole the wages of $30 monthly I used to be receiving as a cowhand.
Because of my unintended discovery, I turned skilled wolf-catcher, an occupation that afforded me a lot pleasure and no small quantity of revenue. All informed, I’ve caught upward of 1,000 wolves, a file no man has ever sought to duplicate and one that can by no means be equaled, if for no different motive than due to modified circumstances.
In 1901 with my newly-wed spouse I took up residence on a farm close to Frederick, a small city within the southwestern a part of Oklahoma Territory. This part was a wolfer’s paradise and I skilled no issue in conserving the proverbial wolf from my door by catching reside ones with my palms and promoting them to the zoos, circuses, and wolf breeders. A part of my time was dedicated to farming and breaking wild horses, however I thought-about wolf-catching my principal vocation.
The primary wolf I caught after transferring to Frederick deserves particular point out. Accompanied by Mrs. Abernathy and Jim Wyley, a nephew, I used to be searching the Comanche Indian Reservation close to Deep Crimson Creek, a really slim however deep stream as its title would suggest, once I noticed a lobo of explicit curiosity and decided to seize him at once.
I knew from the way in which the wolf was working that he meant to cross the creek and I noticed that I couldn’t get throughout on my horse. A couple of toes from the water’s edge was a excessive bluff, however neither the wolf nor the canine even hesitated upon reaching its brink, hurdling over it madly. I dashed as much as the bluff at full velocity and tried to rein in my horse, however he was headstrong and carried me over the financial institution, which proved to be at the least 30 toes, which was a lot larger than I had anticipated. I don’t know the way I received out of the saddle, however I believe I simply fell out. The horse veered to the best whereas I used to be thrown to the left, touchdown sq. upon the fierce battlers. I had voluntarily entered many fights of this character, however by no means earlier than had I been actually catapulted into one.
We had been a queer ball of man, canine, and wolf, first one after which one other being on prime, however on a regular basis rolling and sliding down towards the icy water a couple of toes away. Presently, in some unaccountable method, I discovered I had caught the wolf by the jaw and I knew he was mine for god. Regardless that I used to be out of breath from my terrific struggles, I used to be pleasantly thrilled.
Within the meantime my horse had climbed again up the bluff, and my spouse had seen me go over the embankment, I knew she could be frantic. She began driving towards me within the spring wagon at prime velocity, the wagon bouncing over cattle trails and prairie canine mounds. By the point she received inside 300 yards I had regained my breath considerably and managed to climb half method up the financial institution; by the utmost effort I hoisted the struggling wolf, which weighed 90 kilos, excessive above my head for her to see, and naturally, she knew I used to be secure. This was a really shut name, and several other years later once I described the incident and identified the precise spot to President Roosevelt, he expressed amazement at my miraculous escape.
I caught wolves on this space for a while, as circumstances had been preferrred. The wolves had been plentiful, the terrain was wonderful for horseback racing; and there have been no fences or farms to impede the chase. It was very seldom {that a} wolf received away if I had a good run.
On one other notably attention-grabbing hunt, I had caught 13 wolves and positioned them in a cage. My spouse was driving the wagon as typical and Jim Wyley accompanied me on horseback. As we had been breaking camp, I all of the sudden determined that I needed yet one more wolf. I don’t know what prompted this thought until I figured that the quantity 13 was unfortunate. At any charge I made up my thoughts so as to add the fourteenth earlier than reaching dwelling.
W.T. Waggoner, the Texas cattle baron, had leased a part of the Comanche Indian Reservation and had transferred a number of thousand wild, Mexican long-horned steers to the vary. These vicious cattle had been accustomed to males on horseback however they’d assault a person on foot with out the slightest hesitancy.
I had instructed Wyley to stick with the wagon till he noticed me begin the chase after which to comply with on horseback as one by no means knew what may occur throughout a wild race. The nation was filled with prairie canine holes, deep ditches, and buffalo wallows, and a foul spill may very well be severe.
I used to be about three-quarters of a mile forward of the wagon once I found three grey, or lobo, wolves 400 yards to the best, and I recalled on the time that it was uncommon to search out three wolves collectively so late within the morning. They peered at me for a second, then dashed off to the south towards Crimson River, however shortly modified their course to the northwest, and adopted a tough draw which gave them a determined benefit. That is an previous trick of artful wolves and it vastly aids them in making a secure getaway.
After they began again to the northwest, they separated, and my two canine saved after the middle wolf. Coming in at an angle at my finest velocity, I used to be unable to verify my horse and consequently ran over the lead greyhound and killed him immediately. When my horse trampled the canine he stumbled and went down on his knees 30 yards however by no means cell fully down. Nevertheless, it checked my velocity sufficient to let the opposite canine get forward. I had some tough working for a half mile, however lastly the wolf took to degree floor and I ran onto him in a jiffy. Dashing alongside by the facet of the totally frightened wolf, which was now doing his degree finest. I sprang from the again of the rushing horse and landed astride the terrified animal. The horse by no means slackened his velocity and shortly was out of sight, the primary time he ever abandoned me on this method.
I received my maintain on the wolf with out issue and was calmly surveying her high quality pelage when a second wolf, a big male, all of the sudden appeared out of a transparent sky and, like a flash, sprang upon me, inflicting a superficial wound on my proper arm. It appeared that he was intent upon forcing me to launch his mate, for after making the flying deal with, the wolf jumped off about 10 toes and crouched down as if to make a second spring.
Simply earlier than the wolf made his second effort, nonetheless, I considered my knife, which I habitually carried in my proper pocket, however reaching into my left pocket, a lot to my shock and delight, I grasped the knife. I managed in some way to open it, and when the wolf attacked, I jabbed into his shoulder as finest I may with my left hand, breaking off the one blade within the knife. This left me in a high quality predicament.
I chanced to look over my left shoulder and there stood the third wolf obvious at me and apparently able to assault. I hardly knew what to do, or which strategy to flip. Within the meantime, my lone canine would snap at first one wolf after which the opposite, holding them at bay after a trend, however not totally eradicating them from the siege.
Lastly I received to my toes, nonetheless holding onto the feminine wolf, and began up the slope to the upper floor 200 yards away, the place I believed Wyley would have the ability to see me and are available to my rescue. I reached the sting of the elevated part with out additional assaults from the wolves, solely to find a number of hundred, long-horned Mexican steers about 150 yards away working towards me and bellowing with rage at each step.
After they received inside 6 or 8 toes of me, I fell however nonetheless held onto my wolf, and the longhorns started milling round me. I may really feel their breath on the again of my neck and I questioned how on this planet I used to be going to make my escape. It appeared as if my solely salvation was to spring upon the neck of a steer, slip to the rear, and journey him out of the maddened herd. I used to be agile in these days and I knew I may keep on the again of 1 for a short while at the least by hanging my spurs in his facet.
Whereas all this was happening, Mrs. Abernathy had adopted directions to the letter. She had despatched Wyley to the south however he failed to note that I swung to the best and adjusted my course to the northwest. He continued on a southerly course nearly to the Crimson River; then, feeling that he was on a chilly path, he took the back-track with all haste and returned to the wagon.
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Mrs. Abernathy had been standing on the dashboard on the lookout for some signal of me, and simply as Wyley returned she found the milling, bellowing mass of cattle a mile away. She screamed to Wyley to journey to the cattle as rapidly as potential as I is likely to be proper in the course of them. When he reached the sting of the cattle, he fired his six-shooter a number of occasions into the air and that broke up the play.
“What within the hell are you doing there?” he shouted after discovering me mendacity on the bottom.
I defined that I had been holding onto a wolf however that this was one time he was going to commerce locations with me. I pried open the wolf’s jaws and he slipped his hand in the place mine had been, and the wolf closed down on him. Returning to the wagon, I drank a quart of cool water —and water by no means tasted so good to me earlier than — then wired up the wolf, and landed him safely within the cage, the fourteenth sufferer to fall to my palms on the journey.
After I recounted this expertise to President Roosevelt, he stated: “Abernathy, you need to promise me that you’ll by no means take such possibilities once more. There may be an excessive amount of work forward of you to danger your life in that method.”
On the time, I didn’t catch the importance of this comment.
