He was very affectionate and would smile and wag his tail to express his joy at meeting us, and throw himself on his back as an invitation to us to caress him. He was playful, too, and given one end of a rope or strap would do his best to pull it away from us. While in this playful mood he would catch up the skirt of a coat or dress and walk along with us. proudly smiling and wagging his tail. But he was very high-strung and nervous, and if we attempted to hold him in the presence of strangers he would bite and get away as quickly as possible. Once loose he was no longer afraid and would often run right in and tear the stranger's clothing.

Timber Wolf And Coyote.

Most writers refer to the coyote as cowardly, but I have seen nothing which seems to justify this estimate of his character. He simply isn't foolhardy. He's like the Irishman who said he preferred to have his enemies call him a coward today to having his friends say "How natural he looks" tomorrow.

I will give an example of what T mean. One bitter winter day I was tramping on snow-shoes through a New Hampshire forest with a coyote at my heels. As we were passing a deserted cabin, three fox-hounds which had taken refuge from the recent storm came leaping out in full cry.

The coyote, outnumbered and taken by surprise, drifted away over the snow like a puff of gray smoke, the hounds in pursuit. But they were no match for him in speed, and after floundering along in his wake for less than half a mile they stopped, turned round, and started back. The coyote, who had been running easily only a few feet ahead of them, seemed to be completely in touch with the situation. No sooner had the tired dogs turned than he wheeled about, pitched into the rear guard of the enemy, and in a running counter attack decisively whipped all three of the hounds and finally drove them back yelping into the old house from which they had come.

Before he "joined the army," this dog of blooded lineage bore the name of "Bum." Now he-answers to the more appropriate title of "Bullets".

That didn't look like cowardice: it looked like good generalship. And it isn't cowardice for an animal the size of a coyote to run away from an animal the size of a man, especially when the little wolf knows that in some mysterious manner his enemy can kill him when he is still a quarter of a mile away. That's a combination of common sense and good judgment.