CHAPTER XXI--A PLUCKY FIGHT
Ruth had already set down the bucket of water and drawn the heavy pistolfrom her belt. The girls had been trying their skill with six-shootersat the ranch at odd times, and she knew that she stood a good chance ofhitting the big gray wolf at ten or twelve yards. The beast made noapproach; but his intention of returning to the door of the cabin wherethe sick man lay, if she did not disturb him, was so plain that Ruthdared not desert the helpless patient!
The wolf crouched, growling and showing his fangs. If the girlapproached too near he would spring upon her. Or, if she fired andwounded him but slightly she feared he would give chase and pull herdown in a few seconds. She very well know that she could not hope todistance the beast if once he started to pursue her.
This was indeed a dreadful situation for a tenderly nurtured girl. Thewolf looked to be fully as large as Tom Cameron's mastiff, Reno. AndRuth wished with all her heart (as this comparison flashed through hermind) that the mastiff was here to give battle to the savage beast.
But it were vain to think of such impossibilities. If anything was to bedone to drive off the wolf at the cabin door, she must do it herself.Yet she dared not make the attack here in the open, and afoot. If sheapproached near enough to him to make her first shot sure and deadly,the beast gave every indication of opening the attack himself.
And, indeed, he might spring toward her at any moment. He was growingimpatient. He had scented the helpless man inside the shackand--undisturbed--would soon burrow under the door and get at him.Although not so cowardly as a coyote, the wolf seldom attacks humanbeings unless they are helpless or the beast is driven to desperation byhunger. And gaunt as this fellow was, there was plenty of small game forhim in the chapparel.
Thus, Ruth was in a quandary. But she saw plainly that she must withdrawor the wolf would attack. She left the bucket of water where it stoodand withdrew back of the nearest hut. Once out of the wolf's sight, butstill holding the revolver ready, she looked hastily about. Her pony,hobbled by Jib, had not wandered far. Nor had Freckles seen or evenscented the savage marauder.
Ruth spied him and crept away from the vicinity of the wolf, keeping inhiding all the time. She soon heard the beast clawing at the bottom ofthe door and growling. He might burst the door, or dig under it, anymoment now!
The last few yards to the pony Ruth made at a run. Freckles snorted hissurprise; but he knew her and was easily caught. The frightened girlreturned the revolver to her belt and removed the hobbles. Then shevaulted into the saddle and jerked the pony's head around, riding at acanter back toward the cabin.
The wolf heard her coming and drew his head and shoulders back out ofthe hole he had dug. In a few minutes more he would be under the doorand into the cabin, which had, of course, no floor but the hard-packedclay. He started up and glared at the pony and its rider, and the ponybegan to side-step and snort in a manner which showed plainly that hedid not fancy the vicinity of the beast.
"Whoa, Freckles! Steady, boy!" commanded Ruth.
The cow pony, trained to perfection, halted, with his fore feet braced,glaring at the wolf. Ruth dropped the reins upon his neck, and althoughhe winced and trembled all over, he did not move from the spot as thegirl raised the heavy pistol, resting its barrel across her leftforearm, and took the best aim she could at the froth-streaked chest ofthe wolf.
Even when the revolver popped, Freckles did not move. The wolf sprang toone side, snarling with rage and pain. Ruth saw a streak of crimsonalong his high shoulder. The bullet had just nicked him. The beastsnapped at the wound and whirled around and around in the dust, snarlingand clashing his teeth.
But when the girl tried to urge Freckles in closer, the wolf suddenlytook the aggressive. He sprang out into the trail and in two leaps wasbeside the whirling pony. Freckles knew better than to let the beast getnear enough to spring for his throat. But the pony's gyrations almostunseated his rider.
Ruth fired a second shot; but the bullet went wild. She could not takeproper aim with the pony dancing so; and she had to seize the linesagain. She thrust the pistol into the saddle holster and grabbed thepommel of the saddle itself to aid her balance. Freckles pitcheddreadfully, and struck out, seemingly with all four feet at once, tokeep off the wolf. Perhaps it was as well that he did so, for the beastwas maddened by the smart of the wound, and sought to tear the girl fromher saddle.
As Ruth allowed the pony to run off from the shack for several rods, thewolf went growling back to the door. He was a persistent fellow and itdid seem as though he was determined to get at the sick man in spite ofall Ruth could do.
But the girl, frightened as she was, had no intention of remaining by tosee such a monstrous thing happen. She controlled Freckles again, androde him hard, using the spurs, straight at the door of the shack. Thewolf whirled and met them with open jaws, the saliva running from thesides of his mouth. His foreleg was now dyed crimson.
Freckles, squealing with anger, jumped to reach the wolf. He had beentaught to ride down coyotes, and he tried the same tactics on thisfellow. The wolf rolled over, snapping and snarling, and easily escapedthe pony's hard hoofs. But Ruth urged the pony on and the wolf wasforced to run.
She tried her best to run him down. They tore through the main street ofwhat had been Tintacker Camp, and out upon the open ridge. The wolf, histail tucked between his legs, scurried over the ground, keeping justahead, but circling around so as to get back to the abandoned town. Hewould not be driven from the vicinity.
"I must try again to shoot him," exclaimed the girl, much worried. "If Iride back he will follow me. If I hobble Freckles again, he may attackthe pony and Freckles could not defend himself so well if he werehobbled. And if I turn the pony loose the wolf may run him offentirely!"
She drew Jib's pistol once more and tried to get a good shot at thewolf. But while she did this she could not keep so sharp an eye on thecourse the pony took and suddenly Freckles sunk one forefoot in a hole.
He plunged forward, and Ruth came very near taking a dive over his head.She saved herself by seizing the pommel with both hands; but in so doingshe lost the gun. Freckles leaped up, frightened and snorting, and thenext moment the wolf had made a sharp turn and was almost under thepony's feet!
The wolf let out an unmistakable yelp of pain and limped off, howling.Freckles kept on in pursuit and the revolver was soon far behind. Thebeast she pursued was now in a bad way; but the girl dared not ride backto search for her lost weapon. She did not propose that the wolf--aftersuch a fight--should escape. Ruth was bent upon his destruction.
The wolf, however, dodged and doubled, so that the pony could nottrample it, even had he wished to come to such close quarters. Theclashing teeth of the savage animal warned Freckles to keep hisdistance, however; and it was plain to Ruth that she must dismount tofinish the beast. If only she had some weapon----
What was that heap on the prairie ahead? Bones! hundreds of them! Someaccident had befallen a bunch of cattle here in the past and theirpicked skeletons had been flung into a heap. The wolf ran for refugebehind this pile and Ruth immediately urged Freckles toward the spot.
She leaped from the saddle, tossing the bridle reins over his head uponthe ground and ran to seize one of the bigger bones. It was the leg boneof a big steer and it made a promising club.
But even as she seized upon this primitive weapon the wolf made a finalstand. He appeared around the far side of the pile. He saw that the girlwas afoot, and with a snarl he sprang upon her.
Ruth uttered an involuntary shriek, and ran back. But she could notreach Freckles. The wolf's hot breath steamed against her neck as sheran. He had missed her by a hair!
The girl whirled and faced him, the club poised in both her hands,determined to give battle. Her situation was perilous in the extreme.Afoot as she was, the beast had the advantage, and he knew this as wellas she did. He did not hurry, but approached his victim withcaution--fangs bared, jaws extended, his wounds for the moment forgotten.
Ruth Fielding at Silver Ranch; Or, Schoolgirls Among the Cowboys Page 21