, 1860-08-03
The Wolf Fieht.

we have in hand, the following graphic and in
teresting description Of . contest which, IN our
view at least, Is more pleasant to read about
than to engage in.
He says the month Of December had Just set
in with all the rigors Of northern winter, which
those who have never witnessed it can form q
very inadequate idea Of from description only,
and those who have, will have It too strongly
| Impressed upon their memory to require any
minute detail Of It's severity. formed one Of .
party Of five gentlemen who started from Gals.
crOna, the principal seaport In His Swedish Ma
jesty's dominions, to journey TO GOttenbargh.
We had with Us two men servants and lad
Of about tifteen years Of age, the latterof whom,
and one Of my companions, were my country
men. The rest Of the company were Swedes
and Danes, with the exception Of one French
man. We Travelled In four cars, drawn each by
one horse; and by dint Of having the head Of
the vehicle brought well over, and being wrap
ped IN numberless furs, cloaks, comfOrters, &C.,
we were tolcrably well able to defy both the
| frost and the still more keen blast which swept
over intsrminable fields clad In winters livery.
Our road was q little diversified for the first
three days. It lay chiefly over Q mountainous
tract Of country, with occasional mOors Extend
| ing for some miles, and ell deeply covered with
snow, which had fallen considerably for some
days, and had in some parts completely filed
various fruitful valleys, which were pointed out
by the guides we took from one town or village
to another. At length we plunged into deep
forest through which our route lay, and where
good road had been prepared, but which we
had great difficulty in keeping, in consequence
Of the drilled snow. Many hills Of this forest
had not been passed, before we became acquainted
with the forms Of the natural enemies II man
and horse. Ever and anUn, wolf would cross
our path, and sliding into the thickest Of the
forest, send forth terrific howl, which ! must
confess was anything but music to my ears
The horses invariably started, snoFted and
lrsmbled at every joint, whenever the noise Of
the Wolish herd betokened the vicinity and
numbers Of those fearful animals, and itrequired
all the aids which our Knowledge Of the manage
could furnish, to urge them forward, if the
wolves. which occasionally appeared, two or
three together, Is event & approached, happened
20 take their course along the road before the
cavalcaIle. Nothing Is more remarkable than
the extreme terror displayed BY the horse at the
appearance Of even Q single wolf
As night came on we cleared the main body
Of the forest, through which We had passed
about forty miles, surrounded By the gloom of
| innumeFable Or trees; among which not living
| thing either bird or beast, appeared to exist
with the single and disagreeable exception Of .
Tapacions wolf An opening Of mile or two on
our right would have cheered Us after our mon.
otOnous drive, varied only BY the affair Of chang
ing horsesat the solitary post houses on the road
side, had Il not been that At the distance Of Q
quarter Of mile, we observed = herd Of about
twenty Of our enemies bending their way to-
wards US They suddenly stopped. however,
and afler an appalling howl, disappeared in the
forest. This small band had been evidently
alarmed at our numberS Their appearance
gave Us timely notiee Of what We might momen
larily expect; and accordingly our guides drew
up, and We arranged to drive in . close body,
and Immediately prepared our fire arms.
This precauton was taken In ioFtunate mo-
ment, for We had just got glimpse Of the smoke
Of the village Of MinespFack, ct which We in
tended to pass the night and were about two
miles Of, when tremendous howl, which came
like peal Of thunder in the mountains Of Swift
zerland, announced . herd Of wolves in our rear
The horses were already htigued, but fear
gave themrenewed strength, and they fed q .
dangerous rate towards the village Their speed
was in vain. A discharge Of fFe arms from the
hindmoSt car bespoke the superior Aeetness Of
the wolves; and In few moments the second
in line, in which I drove. was arrested BY At
least nine or ten Of the largest and most power
fol wolves had ever beheId
Nv companion, the Frenchman, exclaimed
cen e, fat De noua" And really considered
that he had spoken the truth. | had already
discharged three pistols, and disabled - many
wolves the Freneliman had done his part; and
we had jointly put the greater part Of our as
sailants hOF0 dW combat; but our horse was
dragged on his knees and while three Of these
monsters were laceratlng the poor animals neck,
4 fourth an immense creature with glaring
eyes and extended jaws, darted up, and would
have had the poor Frvnchman BY the throat, had
| not luckily at the moment seized my carbine
rifle, which fortunately had q bayonet screwed
on. caught the creature at the point, while
my companion, with admirable readiness, coOlly
put pistol 10 the VOLTS eye, aud sent brace
Of balls through the savage cfeature's head The
slaughter we had committed would not have
saved Us from the iangs Of the herd, which be
lieve consisted Of hundred wolves, had not our
guide, by firing large rocket as Sig al Of dig
tress 70 the villagers given the savage animals
alarm. The glare Of the rocket drove on the
greater part Of the herd, and having wounded
two, and slain third Of our remaining foes We
alghted andiound that our companions had also
ridden themselves Of their Iero0jous assailants.
We instantly collected the straw from the bot
tom Of de cars aud kindled lire to prevent the
renewal Of the attack, intending 10 await the ar
rival Of the villagers, whose torches we perceived
approaching the scene Of action. On examining
our forces; We found that, though each car had
been surrounded, ours had been IN the seyerest
conflict, with the exception Of that 10 which the
two servants and the lad were. Their horse had
reared, and In the struggle oveFlhrown the cAF.
The unfortunate men were each wounded, and
tie Boy drvsdfally lacerated, one Of his thighs
being completely torn away. We bandaged the
boys limb, and placed him IN one Of the other
cars; but although everything possible was
done iOr him, he died from exhaustion before
daylight
The horse In the servants car was already
dead, and as ours was evidently dying. We des-
patched the poor animal. We counted nineteen
| dead wolves, and had no doubt there were -