Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-05-21
A Russian Wolf HUNT.

Inc IOllOWlnS executing SkeIcn Is JranSla-
ted from late number of M Alex Dumas
newspaper. 1t is an extract from one of
his letters from st. Petersburg
Wolf hunting and bear hunting are the
favorite pleasures of the Russians. Wolves
are hunted in this way in the winter, when
the wolves being hungry are feroeious-
Three or four huntsmen, each armed with
a double barreled gun, get into q troika,
which is any sort of a carriage, drawn by
three horses-its name being derived from
its team and not its form. The middle
horse trots always the left hand and right
hand horses must always galop. The mid
die horse trots with his head hanging down,
and he is called the Snow-Eater The two
Others have only one rein, and they are
fastened to the poles by the middle of the
body, and gallop their heads free they
are called the Furious. The troika is driven
| by a sure coachman, if there is such
| thing in the world as sure coachman. A
| pig is tied to the rear of the vehicle by a
rope, or q chain-for greater security
some twelve yards long. The pig is kept
in the vehicle until the huntSmen reach the
forest where the hunt is to take place, when
he is taken out and the horses started
The pig, not being accustomed to this gait,
SquealS, and his sqneals soon degenerate
into lamentations. His cries bring ont one
wolf, who gives the pig chase then two
wolves, then three, then ten, then fifty
wOlveS-all posting as hard as they can go
after the poor pig, fighting among them
selves for the best places, swapping and
striking at the poor pig at every oppnrtu-
nifty, who SquealS with despair. These
Squeals Of agony arouse all the wolves in
the forest, within circnit of three miles,
and the troika is followed by an immense
flock of wolves. 1t is now q good driver
is Indispensable. The horses have an in
Stnctive horror Of wolves. and go almost
crazy they run as fast as they can GO
The huntSmen fire as fast as they can load
there is no necessity to take any aim.
The pig squenls-the horses negh--the
wolves howl-'he guns rattle. AS long as
the driver commands his horses, fast as
they may he runnig away, there is no dan
ger But. if he ceases to he master Of
them if they baulk, if the troika is upset,
there is no hope. The next day, nothing
will remain of the party hut the wreck Of
the troika. the barrels Of the guns, and the
larger bones of the horses, huntsmen and
driver.
Last winter Prince Repnine went on one
of these hunts, aud il came very near be-
ing his last hunt He was on a visit with
two of his friends to one cf his friends to
one Of his estates near the steppe and they
determined TO go on wolf hunt. They
prepared large sleigh in which three per-
sons could move at ease, three vigorous
horses were put into it, and selected for
driver a man born in the country and tho
roughly experienced in the sport. Every
huntsman had pair of double barrel guns
aud hundred and fifty ball cartridges
1t was night when they reached the steppe;
that is, an immense prairie covered with
snow. The moon was full, and shone bril-.
liantly its beams refracted by the snow
gave a light scarce inferior to day light
The pig was put out of the sleigh and
the horses whipped up. As soon as the
pig felt that he was dragged he began
to S9ueal. A wolf or two appeared. but
they We're 'imid, and kept long ways on.
Their numbers gradually increased, and as
their numbers augmented they became bold
er. There were about twenty wolves
when they came within gun range OF the
troika. One of the party fred, wolf fell.
The fiock became alarmed and half fled
away. Seven or eight hungry wolves re-
mained behind to devour their dead COM
panion. The gaps we're soon filed. On
every side hOwls answered howls, on every
: side sharp Inoses and brilliant eyes were
seen peering. The guns ratified Volley after
Volley. But the Aock Of wolves increased
instead of diminishing, and soon il was not
a Hock but vast herd of wolves in thick
serried columns which gave chase to the
sleigh The wolves bounded forward SO
rapidly they seemed to 6y over the snow,
so lightly, not sound was heard their
numbers continued TO increase and increase,
and increase they semed to be silent
, tide drawing nearer and nearer, and which
the guns of the party, rapidly as they were
discharged had no effect on. The wolve'
formed vast crescent, whose horns began tc
encompass the horses Their number In
: creased so rapidly they seemed TO spring
out of the ground. The party had taket
: the pig into the sleigh bis squeal increas