The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1859-05-04
THE sNOw-EATER.
A Thrilling Story of a Wolf Hunt in
kassia.

In the long winters Of Russia, when
the want Of food has rendered the wolves
ferocious, it is an exciting and skillful
piece of business to hunt them.
Three or four hunters, armed with
double barreled rifles, place themselves in
the TrOka, sort of sledge, drawn by
three horses, aud receiving its name, not
from its form, but from the manner in
which the horses are driven--the middle
one being trotter, and one on each side
always going at gallop, the whole three
harnessed abreast.
The middle horse trots with his head
very low, and is called the now-Eater."
The others gallop with elevated fronts,
leaping and plunging, and working off so
that the equipage presents at distance
the appearance Of an open fan. These
two are denominated "The Furies."
A sure coachman, if any coachman is
sure, is always chosen 10 drive the troka
ON these expeditions.
Behind the sledge is attached young
kid by rope or chain some twelve feet in
length, and it is thus conducted carefully
into the forest, where it is intended to
commence the hunt. The kid is then
put out of the sledge and the driver whips
up his horses, which bound away at full
speed, the middle one trotting and the 9th
er two galloping.
The young kid, not being used TO this
sort of treatment, sets up the most plain
tive and earnest lamentations at his fate.
At the first cry wolf trusts his nose out
of the bushes, and starts in pursuit Of the
kid; then three wolves, then ten wolves,
and soon there arc fifty of the ferocious
animals howling in pursuit.
They dispute with each other for the
possession of the kid, fighting 70 see who
can get the nearest; one dashing At him
with a stroke of bis paws, another with
snap of the teeth, till the poor victim,
from lamentations passes to cries of des-
pair, which arouse more of them from the
distant depths of the forest. All the
wolves within the radius Of large league
hasten to the banquet, and the troka is
soon pursued by countless troop. II is
then very agreeable thing to have n
good driver.
The horses, which have an instructive
horror of wolves, become madly excited,
anu dash onward at furious rate. The
trotter would like to gallop-the gallop-
ers would like to take the bits in their
teeth.
Away they 90! and the hunters have
only 70 load and fire at random il being
unnecessary to take aim. The kid cries,
the horses whinny, the wolves howl, the
rifles roar-the whole forming concert
that might make Mephistopholes jealous.
Equipagc, horses, hunters, kid, troops Of
wolves--all in whiflwind, drive furious
iy over the snow, and making it fly in
every direction, storm cloud through the
air.
While the driver remains master of his
team, however excited they may be, all
goes weli. If rein breaks or escapes
from his grasp, il trace parts, or the
troka upsets, all is over The next day,
or the day after, or week or ten days
later, somebody win find the ruins of the
troka, the barrels of rifles, the carcasses
Of the horses and the large bones of the
hunter and driver.
1t was during Alexander Dumas first
winter in Russia, that he went wolf
hunting with the Prince Garousky and
another friend-the affair came very near
being the last hunt Of all concerned.
A sledge was prepared and attached TO
three horses, who were eonfded to driv-
er born in the vicinity and full Of expert
ence. Dumas placed himself 10 face
the rear, the Prince on one side, and their
friend on the other Thus they arrived
on the steppe, which is an immense des-
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