Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-01-29
!. lRrom the Now Yorl. aourlpl % oornmoreel
Wolf story. Aa ti-A~f

u
river can tell ~. &"
When + Rrst came to the cabin, there was No
clearing within thirty miles, and the only neigh
Dor had was George -----, who died last year
up by the cedar hill, ten miles or SO away, IL
was little lonesome, and yet ! liked IT Tor q
year, and saw George three times during that
twelyemonth But the next six months never
saw u man, and used to sit and look mt myself
in the still water over the side Of my canoe, anu
like it, for it seemed as il had company. But
one day III November i was tired out OF belnG
alone, and started off toward evening togo ny
to Georges I crossed the river just here, and
went along up the edge OF the water, swinging
my rife in my hand, whstling for company
sake, for it made pleasant echo in the woods.
The night was coolish, very clear, and there was
q pleasant moon.
Just rs reached the Rock brook, close on the
side Of the pond, ] heard growl that startled
me, and stopping short, saw q wolf standing
with his paws buried in the carcass Of a deer.
while his jaws were full of the flesh. But he was
not eating for he had seen me, and seemed TO be
discussing the comparative merits OF his meal be-
fore him and the possible meal which presented
for him. He was not any of yourdog wolves, but
a grizzly rascal as large as Leo yondef, witt
larger hair and stouter legs. He snarled once or
twice more, and was fool enough to show fight
If had let him alone, he would have been con-
tent with his feed; for they are cowardly animals
except when there are droves Of them, or unless
you disturb their. eating | took n short aim at
him and shot He jumped the instant pulled
trigger, and | missed his breast and broke his
fore-paw. Then he yelled and came at me, and
heard, ms ] thought, fifty more answer him. It
wasn't ten seconds before was in the first crotch
of the nearest tree and four of the grizzly scoun
drels were under it, looking at me, whining and
licking their lips rs If their mouths watered for
/ didn't understand their language, or would
have suggested the idea of satisfying their appe-
tites upon the deer which lay few rods off But
| couldn't persuade them to take any hints OF
that sort; 50 | loaded my rifle and shot one Of
them dead. There was more for them to eat If
they had chosen to deyour one OF their own sort;
but couldn't blame them for refusing the lean,
bony carcass Of such u comrade, especially when
n tolerably wcll-fattened man was in sapling
close by, and the more especially when, If they
had any eyes, they could see that the saplmg was
splitting in two at the crotch, and / must come,
down soon in spite of my repugnance to closer
acquaintance with them. So it was thought
and, before | had time to reload my rifle and
despatch another of them, crack went the tree,
and | dropped my rifle just quick enough to
catch with arms and legs around the tree and
hold ON for life, till could out my knife from my
pocket open it. and shove it in my belt. That
done, watched my chance; and ifthere ever was
scared wolf, that was one when lighted on his
back and wound my arms around him, and We
rolled away together, The other two didn't under
stand it at ALL and backed off to watch the fight.
pretty moonlight tussle that was! At length
the wolf got me under, and he and both thought
was done for. He planted his two paws on my
breast, and the claws left marks that are there
yet, while he seized my shoulder with his villa
nous jaws. .-sg.s-or-.
Black paused 10 show US the scars on his breast
and arms, particularly the large scar where the
flesh was torn from the bone on the shoulder.
He continued: .@ s".#
l. was u little faint when his teeth went in.
1t was unpleasant, and had time to think Of
dozen other ways of dying, any one of which
would have preferred to that, had choice been
possible. The wolf apparently didn't like the
hold he Ind, for he tore out his teeth and tore
out my coat, shirt, and flesh too, and seized Oh
my fur cap, 1t was n lucky mistake for me. |
felt his wet lips on my forehead, and had just
time to let 90 my hold Of his throat and clutch
my knife, when he shook off the cap and made
another attempt to get mouthful; but his throat
was in no fix to swallow it if he got it for my
knife blade was working desperately across his
jugular, and the point of it was feeling between
the vertebre for his spinal marrow, He was
dead wolf, and gave il up like one fairly whipped.
| had blcd considerably when ! rose, but ]
wasn't weakened particle The whole had
passed in less than a minute, and was ready for
the other two, that now came ut me both to-
gethcr.
seized my rifle and met one with the barrel
across the nose and hoored him. As he picked
himself up, seized him by the hmd-foot II the
first wolf was scared when fell on him, this, ono
was more So | shall never forget the howl which
4 i'm inf fha mir and
struck the other blow with the body of his
comrade The other one, the first had wounded,
frightened Mt the novel fight, vanished in the
woods and was left with this one in my hands.
lie seemed to let out his voice with tremendous
force rs he went round my head twice. The
centrifugal force rs they used to call it at school,
forced out his wind butas let him fly, his scream
was fairly demoniacal.
He went rod from the bank, and the howl
stopped only when hc reached the water | was
faint and weak now, and my visit to George was
of course out of the question so seized my rifle,
loaded it with difficulty as | ran, and following
the water, | at length, saw him come up. He
struck in for the shore, but seeing me, did not
dare to land tcased him so for two miles, and
each time he approached the shore showed my
self. andhc kept off. l saw he was getting tired
but | did mt want to shoot him yet, and followed
him till he went over the rapids and into the
deep hole by the Haunted Rock. Here I had to
leave the river bank, and so | watched him swim
ming along the edge of the rock until he found a
little shelf. on which he crawled out and shook
his hide. But he couldn't get up that rock--that
was pretty certain; and while he was discussing
il all alone NY himself, helped him to settle the
question with a riHe-ball in his side. He gave
mad half-bark and half-yelL and sprang into the
river. but didn't rise again. 4 4..,.
How got to my canoe don't know. man
aged to paddle over and get in here half dead,
with my blood all over me, and my wounds, fro
zen dry. 1t was n month before was well
enough to hunt again, and ] have been shy of
wolves ever since s...H ,n.MeE .ss#