The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-01-06
The WOlf.Chase
BY C. WHITEHEAD.

During the winter of 1914, being engaged in the
northern part OF Maine, had much leisure to de-
vote to the wild sports of a new country. To none
of these was more passionately add. led than TO
skating The deep and sequestered lakes OF this
state frozen by the intense cold Of northern win
ter present wide field to the lovers OF this pastime
Often would bind On nay skates and glide away
up the glittering river, and wind each may stream
let that flowed beneath its etters toward the
distant ocean, forgetting all the while time and dis
tance in the luxurious sense Jt the gliding motion
thinking OF nothing in the easy flight, but rather
dreaming, as | looked through the transparent ice
at the long weeds and crosses that nodded in the
current beneath, and seemed wrestling with the
waves to let them go; or | would follow on the
tracR ot some fox or otter, and my skate along
the mark he had left with his dragging TAIL until
the trail would enter the woods. Sometimes these
excursions were made by moonlight, and it was on
one OF these occasions that | had rencounter
which even with kind faces around me- can
not recall without nervous lookin. over -shuui
der feeling.
| had left my friends house one evening just be-
fore Dusk with the intention of skating short dis
tance up the noble Kennebec which glided directly
before the door. The night was beautifully clear.
A peerless moon rode through an occasional leecy
cloud, and stars twinkled from the sky and from
every frost-covered tree in millions. our mind
would wonder at the light that came gli.!ering from
ice and snow-wreath, and incrusted branches, as
the eye followed for miles the broad CLEAN of the
the mighty forest on its banks. And yet all was
still. The cold seemed 10 have frozen tree, and
air. and water, and every living thing that moved.
Even the ringing Of my skates the ice echoed
back from the Mecca sin Hill with startling clear
ness and the crackle of the ice as passed over it
in my course seemed to follow the tide OF the river
with lightning speed
had gone up the river nearly two miles when,
coming 10 u little stream which empties into the
larger, turned in to explore its conrse. Fir and
hemocf of centnry's growth met overhead, and
formed an archWay radiant with frcst-work. All
was dark within, but was young and fearless, and
as peered into unbroken forest that reared itself
on the borders of the stream, laughed with very
joyousness; my wild hurfa rang through the silent
woods, and | stood listening to the echo that rever-
berated again and again, until all was hushed. |
thought how often the Indian hunter had concealed
himself behind these very trees-how often his ar.
row had pierced the deer by this very stream, and
his wild halloo had here rung for his victory. And
then, turning from fancy to reality, / watched a
couple of white owls, that sat in their hooded state
with rufiled panalets and long ear tabs, debating
in silent concaVe the affairs OF their froz5n realm
and wondering, for all their feathers were a-cod u
when suddenly sound arose-it seemed TO mo TO
come beneath the ice it sounded low and tremu-
lous at first until it ended in one wild Yell was
appalled,. Never before had such noise met my
ears. thought it more than mortal-so fierce, aud
amid such an unbrOken solitude, it seemed as if q
fend had blown q blast from an Internal trumpet
from the tread OF some animal, and the bood
rushed back to my forehead with bound tha
made my skin burn, and | felt relieved that hat
contend with things earthly, and not of sprilua
nature-my energies returned, and looked arount
me for some means OF escape. The moon sbone
through the opening at the mouth of the creek BY
which | had entered the forest, and considering
this the best means of escape, darted toward i
like an arrow. 1t was hardly hundred yards dis
tant and the swallow could scarcely excel nv des
Ito 10 vat paV rr,atp 81, ii,
could see two dark objects dashing through til
underbrush at pace nearly double In speed to m
own. BY this great speed, and the short yell
which they occasionally gave knew at once tina
these were the much. dreaded graV-wolf
had never met with these animals, but fror
the description given Of them, had but little plea
in making their acquaintance. Their untame
able ferceness, and the untiring strength thg
seems part of their nature, render them objects
dread to every benighted traveller.
with their long gqllop, which can tire
The deerhound's hate, the hunters fire.
they pursue their prey-never straying from ii
track Of their victm-and as the wearied huntt
thinks he has at last outstripped them, he finds thl
they but waited for the evening to seize their pre-
and falls prize to the tireless animals.
The bushes that skirted the shore few past wi
the velocity Of lightning, | dashed on in II
flight to pass the narrow opening The outl
nearly gained; one second more and | wou
be comparatively safe when my pursuers appear'
on the bank directly above me, which here rose
the height of ten feet There was time
thought, SO | bent my head and dashed madly 'ft
ward The wolves sprang, but mlscaculating n
speed sprang behind, while their intended pr
glded out upon til. river.
Nature turned me towards home. The lig
flakes OF snow spun from the iron OF my skates, a
was some distance from my pursuers, when tn
fierce howl told me | was still their fugitive. Il
not look back; did not feel afraid, or sorry,
glad; one thought OF home, of the bright fac
awaiting my return, of their tears if they he,
should see me, and then every energy of body u
mind was exerted for escape. | was perfectly
home on the ice. Many were the days that | spt
on my good skates, never thinking tha, at one tn