Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-04-03
MISCELLANY Y
A Skater Chased by a Wolf.


relator sailed forth one evening, TO skate on
the Kennebec. 10 Maine, by moonlight. and
having ascended that river nearly two miles
turned into little stream to explore IT'S
Fir and hemlock of a cenlury's growth
The says) INST overhead, aud formed an arch
way radiant with frost work. All was dark
within; but | was young aud fearless, and
as peered into an unhroken forest tina,
reared itself on the borders OF The stream.
laughed with very Joyousness: my wild hur
rah rang through the silent woods. and 1
stood listening 10 the echo that reverberared
ngain ard again, until all was hu,hed. Sud-
denly sound arose-t seemed 10 me 10 come
from beneath the ice il sounded low aud
trennulous at first, until il ended in one wild
veil. was appalled,. Never before had
such noise met my ears. Thought il more
than mortal, so fierce and amidst such an
unbroken solitude, 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 a, a
pace nearly double in speed TO my own
by this rapdity, and The short yels which
they occasionally gave, knew at once tha,
had never met with these animals, but.
from the description given of them, / had
very little pleasure in making their acquain-
tainance. Their untameable fierceness, aud
the untiring strength which seem part OF
their nature, render them objects of dread TO
every bepighted traveller.
There was no time for thought so bent
my head and dashed madly forward. Ma
fpro L.. A.,
flakes OF snow spun from the iron Of my
skates, apd was some distance from my
pursuers when their fierce howl told me
was sill their fugitive. did not look back
| did moi feel afraid. or sorry. or glad; one
thought OF home. of the bright faces await
ing my return, of their tears if thev never
should see me again, and then every erergy
OF body and mind was exerted for escape
| was perfectly at home on the ice. Many
were the days that had spent on my own
good skates, never thinking that al one time
they would I've my only means of safety
Every halt minute an alternate yelp from my
ferocious followers made me only too cer
tam that they were in close pursuit. Near
er and nearer they came; heard their feet
paiterng on the ice nearer still, until could
! feel their breath and hear their snifflug scent
Every neeve and muscle 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 speed, yet still they seemed to
hiss forth their breath with sound truly
horrible, when an involuntary motion on
my part turned me out Of my course. The
wolves close behind, unable to sion, and a.
unable to turn on the smooth ice, slipped
| f~n I'll
tongues lolIiue out, their white t,rsks glarin Q
from their bloody mouths, their dark, shaggy
breasts were 1eeced with foam, and, ms they
passed me, their ewes gIared, and they howl
cd with fury. The thought flashed on nv
mind that by this means could avoid them
viz; by running aside whenever they came
TOO near; Tor thev, by the formation of theiI
feet, are unable to run on the ice except in a
straight line.
AT one time. by delaying nv tuning too
long, my sangnmary antagonists came 81
near that they threw the white foam ovel
my dress, as they sprang TO seize me, and
both Their teeth clasped together, like the
spring OF foxtrap. Had my skates failed
tor one instant, had tr,pped on sick, ol
caught my foot IN a fssure in the ice, the
story am now telling would never have
been told
thought all the chances over knew
where they would firsr take hold OF me If
fell; thought how long il would he before
died, and then there would be a search fol
The body that would already have its tomb
Tor y! how fast mans mind traces out al
the dread colOrs of deaths picture, only those
who have been so near the grim original CAT
tell.
|
But soon came opposite the house, and
my hounds knew their deep voices-rous
ed by the noise, bayed furiously from the
kennels. heard their chains rattle: how
wished they would break them and then
should have protectors that would be peers
10 the fercest denizens OF the forest. The
wolves, taking the hint conveyed BY the
dogs, stopped in their mad career, and afrer
a moments consideration, turned and fed
watched them until their dusky forms dis
appeared over n neigbboring hill. Then
taking off my skates, wended my way to the
house, with feelings which may be better
imagined than described. But even vet
never see a broad sheet of ice ia the moon.
shine without thinking of that shifting
breath, and those fearful things that followed
me SO closely down the frozen Kennebec
As an appropriate appendix to the nbove
we will quote the sulIoined perilous
incidents in the life of the Bishup Bascom
which occurred when, in earle life, his CIR
cult embraced the wild and unsettled from
tiers of Virginia. Kentucky, and Oho:l
Hh was once followed several miles by a
large panther, which threatened at every
bound 10 spring upon him, and from which
he was rescusd by reaching the cabin of a
settler. At another time, he had gone some
distance from the house of friend, where
he was stopping, into the forest, where he
was lying quietly perusing hook, and, un-
concious of all danger, under the broad
spreading branches of a tree. when he heard
the Voice Of a man crying out TO him, 10 lie
still until he fired, on the periI'of ms life
Quickly glancing his eye in the direction
| whence the sound proceeded, he saw his
friend, with his rifle elevated, and pointing
towards the branches of the tree under
which he was lying. Perfectly familiar
with backwoods life, DR.. Bascom knew that
some dreadful danger was lowering over
him, and, with the least preceptible motion
of his body, he Instantly turned his gaze
upwards, when he saw on a limb Of the tree
not more than twenty feet above him, a
majestic panther, whisking his tail, and Just
ready TO leap upon him. This was a fearful
moment! What nerve it required to retain
his self-posession, and thus save his life for
the least motion on the part of Dr. Bascom
would have hastened the spring Of the pan.
ther, and sealed his fate forever and in tla,
fearful moment, when death seemed inevita.
bile, with a self.controi and courage rrul,
wonderful, he lay perfectly quiet till The keen
crack of The rife wns heard and the fero
cious beast pierced by the unerring aim o