The wolf finally decided they were no threat and turned his back on them, trotting away across the vast grassland.
"I noticed that you always carry a rifle when you go out. Do you ever shoot any wolves?"
He scowled at her. "The rifle is for emergencies only. I try to live in harmony with nature." He watched the wolf disappear into the tall grass. "The fact is, when wolves attack a herd, they always take the weakest animal. That's the natural selection process at work - survival of the fittest. Farmers don't butcher their best animals, either. They leave them for breeding purposes. It's the hunter that throws nature out of balance, selecting only the best game."
"So you're against hunters and fishermen?"
He glanced at her and his lip twitched. "No, I simply think there is a proper way to do things, and humans have a habit of doing what pleases them at the moment, not what is best for the future."
"So you're saying the wolves improve your herd by culling out the weakest animals?"
Again the lip twitched. "In a manner of speaking. Of course, it would be more profitable for the ranch if I culled those animals by taking them to the slaughter house."
"That's why the other ranchers want to kill off the wolf? To improve their profits?"
"More likely so they can stay in the black. I have enough acreage and cattle to absorb some of the loss. Most of the ranchers are barely getting along as it is." He grimaced. "The trouble is; my ranch has been a safe haven and even headquarters for the wolf population around here. So far I don't think I have a problem, but I have to consider those other ranchers when I decide how many wolves this land can support. The more they get to eat, the more offspring they will produce, and some of those offspring will need to stake out new territory. So far, deer and rabbits are easier for a few wolves to pull down than a healthy cow, but if the pack gets too big they may go after cattle. I don't make the decisions alone, though. State game officials are involved as well." He turned his horse and they started out again.
She hugged her arms and hunched down into her jacket, her teeth chattering. The more she learned about the way he thought, the more she was convinced that people around him were the strange ones, not Cade.
The next time she talked to Mary, she said as much. Mary smiled knowingly.
"I told you so."
"Told me what?"