The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-08-07
From the New Brunswick Times.
The Wolf (hnsr.

=
engaged in the northern part of
Maine, had much leisure to devote
to the wild sports of new country.
To none of these was | more pas
sionately addicted than that of ska
ting. The deep and sequestered
lakes Of this northern State, frozen
by intense cold, present wild field
to the lovers Of this pastime. Often
would | bind on my rusty skates,
and glide away up the glittering
river, and wind each may stream
let that flowed on towards the pa
rent ocean, and feel my very pulse
bound with joyous exercise. 1t was
during one Of these excursions that
| met with an adventure which,
even at this period of my life, re-
member with wonder and astonish-
ment.
| had left my fri ends house one
evening Just before dusk, with the
intention of skating a short distance
up the noble Kcnnebeck, which gil
ded directly before the door. The
evening was fine and clear. The
new moon peered from her lofty
seat, and cast her rays on the frosty
pines that skirted the shore, until
they seemed the realization of fairy
scene. All nature lay in a quiet
which she sometimes chooses to as
sune while water, earth and air
seemed to have sunken into repose.
had gone up the river nearly
two miles, when coming to little
stream which empticd into the lar
ger, turned in to explore its course.
Fir and hemlock of a century's
growth met overhead, and formed
an Evergreen archway, radiant with
frostwork. All was dark within,
but | was young and fearless, and
as peercd INTO the unbroken forest
that reared itself to the borders OF
the stream, laughed in very Joy
BUSINESS. My wild hurrah rang thro'
the woods, and | stood listening to
the echo that reverberated again
and again, until all was hushed.
Occasionally night bird would flap
its wings from some tall oak.
The mighty lords Of the forest
stood as if nought but time could
bow them. | thought how oft the
Indian hunter concealed himself be-
hind these very trees-how oft the
arrow had pierced the deer by this
very stream, and how oft his wild
halloo had rung for his victory.
watched the owls as they nuttered
by, until almost fancied myself one
of them, and held my breath to lis
ten to their distant hooting.
! When suddenly sound arose, il
seemed from the very ice beneath
my feet. 1t was loud and tremcn-
dous at first, until it ended in one
long yell. | was appalled,. Never
before had such noise met my ears
| thought it more than mortal--Sc
fierce, and amid such an unbrokcr
solitude, that it seemed fend from
hell had blown bias, from an infer.
nal trumpet. Presently ! heard The
twigs on the shore snap as if from
tread of some animal, and the bloot
rushed back TO my forehead with ;
bound that made my skin burn, anC
| felt relieved that | had to contend
with things of earthly and not spirit
ual mould, as | first fancied. Nj,
energies returned, and | looked a.
round me for some means of defence
The moon shone through the open
ing by which | had entered the for
est, and considering this the hes
means of escape, | darted toward
it like an arrow. Twas hardly
= hundred yards distant, and the swal
low could scarcely excel my despcr
ate flight; yet as | turned my eye
, to the shore, | could see two darl
objects dashing through the under
, brush, at pace nearly double tina
, Of my own. BY their great speed
and the short yells which they occa
sionally gave, knew at once tina
they were the much dreaded gre
f wolf.
Il | had never met with these ami
., mails, but from the description give
/. Of them, | had but little pleasure i
e making their acquaintance. Thei
!. untameable icrcencss and the I'm
4; firing strength which seems to be
Il part of their nature, render thei
c objects of dread to every benighte
traveller.
= "Muh their long gallop, which cnn tire.
e The hounds deep hate the hunters fire y
|, they pursue their prey, and nougF
g but death can separate them. Ih
.. bushes that skirted the shoe fe'
10 past with the velocity of light, as
h dashed on in my flight. The outl'
v was nearly gained one secon
s. more and would be comparativel
'' safe, when my pursuers appeared o
'r the bank directly above me, whic
rose to the height of some ten fee
!. | frh,,n ,.,s a.. t,,,D for thnnrrl,t