The Turnbo Manuscripts

by Silas Claiborne Turnbo
1844-1925


Turnbo Home | Table of Contents | Keyword Search| Bibliography | Biography


A PACK OF WOLVES ATTACK AND KILL A TWO YEAR OLD HORSE
By S. C. Turnbo

In referring to the ravages of wolves in the pioneer days of Ozark County, Mo., Mr. Henry Sanders, son of Allin Sanders, who was one of the first settlers on Lick Creek relates the following account.

"A few miles below Gainesville a small stream empties into Lick Creek from the west side known as Little Creek. One night a pack of wolves attacked and killed a two year old horse on this creek near two miles from where it goes into Lick Creek. The horse was rather small to his age and thin in flesh. On the following day after the horse was slain Daniel Upton while hunting on this creek discovered what the wolves had left of the horse and went immediately and informed my father of his find. There was just enough left of the horse to show who he belonged to. He had not fell an easy prey to the ravenous beast for he had fought and struggled against their vicious attack over a large space of ground before they finally overpowered and destroyed him. My father taken a lot of fresh meat and an ounce bottle full of strychnine and poisoned what was left of the horse, then he cut the fresh meat into small bits and after putting plenty of medicine in it he placed the pieces around the carcass of the horse. My father wanted vengeance out of the wolves and he got it for in less than 48 hours from the time he baited for them we found 11 dead wolves within a circle of one half of a mile of where they had slain the horse."

Next Story


Turnbo Home | Table of Contents | Keyword Search| Bibliography | Biography


Springfield-Greene County Library