The old idea that a wolf was constantly in a starving state, and therefore ready to eat anything, was as far as possible from the truth in this case, for these freebooters were always sleek and well-conditioned, and were in fact most fastidious about what they ate.  Any animal that had died from natural causes, or that was diseased or tainted, they would not touch, and they even rejected anything that had been killed by the stockmen.  Their choice and daily food was the tenderer part of a freshly killed yearling heifer.  An old bull or cow they disdained, and though they occasionally took a young calf or colt, it was quite clear that veal or horseflesh was not their favorite diet.  It was also known that they were not fond of mutton, although they often amused themselves by killing sheep.  One night in November, 1893, Blanca and the yellow wolf killed two hundred and fifty sheep, apparently for the fun of it, and did not eat an ounce of their flesh.

These are examples of many stories which I might repeat, to show the ravages of this destructive band.  Many new devices for their extinction were tried each year, but still they lived and throve in spite of all the efforts of their foes.  A great price was set on Lobo’s head, and in consequence poison in a score of subtle forms was put out for him, but he never failed to detect and avoid it.  One thing only he feared—­that was firearms, and knowing full well that all men in this region carried them, he never was known to attack or face a human being.  Indeed, the set policy of his band was to take refuge in flight whenever, in the daytime, a man was descried, no matter at what distance.  Lobo’s habit of permitting the pack to eat only that which they themselves had killed, was in numerous cases their salvation, and the keenness of his scent to detect the taint of human hands or the poison itself, completed their immunity.

On one occasion, one of the cowboys heard the too familiar rallying-cry of Old Lobo, and stealthily approaching, he found the Currumpaw pack in a hollow, where they had ‘rounded up’ a small herd of cattle.  Lobo sat apart on a knoll, while Blanca with the rest was endeavoring to ’cut out’ a young cow, which they had selected; but the cattle were standing in a compact mass with their heads outward, and presented to the foe a line of horns, unbroken save when some cow, frightened by a fresh onset of the wolves, tried to retreat into the middle of the herd.  It was only by taking advantage of these breaks that the wolves had succeeded at all in wounding the selected cow, but she was far from being disabled, and it seemed that Lobo at length lost patience with his followers, for he left his position on the hill, and, uttering a deep roar, dashed toward the herd.  The terrified rank broke at his charge, and he sprang in among them.  Then the cattle scattered like the pieces of a bursting bomb.  Away went the chosen victim, but ere she had gone twenty-five yards