Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-05-22
A Skater Chased by a Wolf.

A fearful incident in American country
life is vividly sketched in Evenings at Do
naldson's Manor In the winter of 1914,
the relator sailed forth one evening, to skate
on the Kenebeck, in Maine, by moonlight !;
and having ascended that river nearly two
miles, turned into little stream to explore
its source.
Sir and Hemlock of a century's growth"
he says, "met overhead, and formed an arch
way radiant with frostwork All was dark
within, but was young and fearless; and
as peered into an unbroken forest that rear
ed itself on the borders of the stream, laugh
ed with very joyousnesss my wild hurrah
rang through the silent woods, and | stood
listening to the echo that reverbated again
and again, until all was hushed. Suddenly
a sound arose-it seemed to me to come from
beneath the ice; it sounded low and tremu-
ious 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, and amidst such an unbro-
ken solitude, it seemed as though from the tread
of some brute animal and the blood rushed
back to my forehead with bound that made
my skin burn, and felt relieved that had
to contend with things earthly and not of a
spiritual nature-my energies returned, and
I looked around me for some means ofescape
AS turned my head to the shore, could
see two dark objects dashing through the un-
derbrush at pace nearly double in speed to
my own. BY this rapidity, and the short
yells which they occasionally gave knew at
once that these were the much dreaded grey
wolf
had never met with these animals, but
from the description given ofthem, had very
little pleasure in making their acquaintance
Their untameable ferceness and untirlng
strength which seem part of their nature,
render them objects fdread to every benight-
ed traveller.
There was no time for thought, SO | bent
my head and dashed madly forward. Nature
turned me towards home. The light flakes
of snow spun from the iron of my skates, and
| was some distance from my pursuers when
their fierce howl told me was still their flu
gitive. did not look back, did not feel a
fraid or sorry, or glad; one thought of home,
of the bright faces awaiting my return, of
their tears if they should never see me again,
and then every energy of body and mind was
exercised for escape. l was perfectly at
home on the ice. Many were the days had
spent on my good skates, never thinking that
at one time they would be my only means OF
safety. Every half minute an alternate yelp
from the ferocious followers made me only
too certain that they were in close pursuit.
Nearer and nearer they came; | heard their
feet patterring on the ice nearer still, until |
could feel their breath and hear their snuf-
fling scent. Every nerve and muscle IN
my frame was stretched to the utmost ten
sion
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 sound
truly horrible, when an involuntary motion
on nv part turned me out of my course
The wolves close behind, unable TO STOP anu
as unable to turn on the smooth ice, slipped
and fell, still going on far ahead; their tongues
were lolling, their white tusks glarlng from
their bloody mouths, their dark shaggy breasts
were feeced with foam, and as they passed
me their eyes glared with fury. The thought