Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1851-03-12
M [ s G. E LII LANE EOU S.
A SKATER CHASED BY WOLVES.

A fearful incident in American country
life is wildly sketched in "Evenings a, Don
aldson's Manor" in the winter of 1914
the relator sailed forth one evening, to
skate on the Kennebec, in Maine, by moon
light, and, having ascended that river near
ly two miles, turned into little stream to
explore it. Fir and hemlock of cenlury's
growth (he says,) met overhead, and form
ed an archway radiant with frost work.
All was dark within; but | was young and
| fearless, and as | peered into an unbroken
forest that reared itself on the borders of the
stream, laughed with very joyousness; my
wild hurrah rang through the silent woods,
and stood listening TO the echo that rever-
beraled again and again, until all was hush
ed. \ Suddenly sound arose-it seemed
to me TO come from beneath the ice; j.
sounded low and tremulous at first, until it
ended in one wild yell. ! was appalled,
! Never before had such noise me, my ears.
! thought it more than mortal; SO fierce,
and amidst such an unbroken solitude, ii
seemed as though fend had blown blast
from an internal trumpet. Presently heard
the twigs on shore crack, as though from
the tread of some brute animal, and the
blood rushed back to my forehead with a
bound that made my skin burn, and fell
relieved that | had to contend with things
earthly, and not of spiritual nature-my en-
ergies returned, and looked around me for
some means of escape. As turned my
head to The shore, could see two dark OBJ
jects dashing through the underbrush at a
pace nearly double in speed to my own
By this rapidity, and the short yeIls which
they occasionally gave, knew at once that
these were the much dreaded grey wolf.
had never met with these animals, bu
from the descri p,ion given of them, had
very little pleasure in making their acqualn'
tance. Their untamable ferceness, and the
untiring strength which seems part of ,hei'
nature, render them objects of dread to every
benigh,ed traveller. There was nc
time for thought; so bent my head, ant
dashed madly forward. Nature turned me
towards home. The light flakes of snow
spun from the iron of my skates, and | wa:
some distance from my pursuers, when thei
fierce howl told me was still their fugitive
| did not look back; ! did not feel afraid
or sorry, or glad; one thought of home, o
the bright faces awaiting my return, OF then
tears, if they should never see me again, ano
then every energy Of body and mind was
exerled for escape. was perfectly at home
on the ice Many were the days that had
spent on my good skates, never thinking
that, al one time, they would be my oniy
means Of safety. Every half minute an al'
,ernate yclp from my ferocious followers
made me only too certain that they were IN
close pursuit. Nearer and nearer they came;
heard their fee, patering on The ice nearer
still, until could feel their breath and hear
their snuAling scent. Every nerve ana mus
Gle in my frame was stretched to the utmost
tension.
| The trees along the shore seemed to dance
in the uncertain light, and my brain turned
with my own breathess speed, yet still they
seemed to hiss forth their breath with a
sound truly horrible, when an involuntary
motion on my part turned me out Of my