The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1863-08-14

niyorcus TO be very common, and oC the
two millions Of skins annually furnished
by the district of kircnsk. only six hun.
dred are those OF the martcn.
Martens and crmines arc generally
caught by snsrcs. The for hnut,r ,hruws
a dead tree across the brook, il is lust
the bridge the martcn viii need Ia lol.
loving the squirrel. In the middle n bar.
ricr is placed, y 18th but one opening aud
in that opening is a running uoosc,wcigh,.
ed 10 the end by lnosc stone, which
falls, when the captured animal begins 10
struggle. The larger animals. snch as
wolves and bears, are caught in pitfalls.
covered ever with borghs aud approached
by walled way, narrowing to- Tic end
and pierced here and there with hulcs.
The skins, when cleaned, are arranged
in packets, OF forty ; ono of these pack
cts Of gray squirrel skins brings the hun.
ter two silver rouhlcs aud ten kopccks.
Tho fur.hunter's life is not all pleasure.
he is net always skimming along on his
snow shoes or singing round his hirouac
fire. The sudden snow storm OF Siberia
arc both terrible and dangerous. The
hunter has then 6ut one means OF escape,
and that is To- torn his slNdge aud COVER
under Il until the snow has passed. There
have been known on the Tartar stcppcs
whrlwinds So violent as 20 drive horses
into lakes, where they pcrishcd. In the
woods these storms are even more danger.
Gus than on the plains, rs the heavy
winds urc sure 90 bring down all trees
whose roots are rotten, and to snap asun-
der those whose trunks ave already dead.
In one of these storms n fur hunter
who had lost his way, aud was half blind
ed with snow, (Cll into pit,Nll, uron the
sharp stakes placed there To- kill the
bears. His snow shoes saved his life.
and helped to break his fall. lie was,
nevertheless, wounded IN two places,
though he had iraclurnted no limbs The
mans first anxiety was to ascertain ir the
pitlnll was new one or an abandoned
ono. Ii u new one, he would be discov.
cred and saved if old. he would perish
with hunger. lie thought he would ligh,
\ match aud lcok about him but his
we're all in his bag, and the
strings of hia bag had broken in his fall.
aud 1t was lost. Presently, in feeling
about, he came to his carbnc. And now
his wounds grew every moment more
painful, and he needed light TO see how
10 bind them, and To staunch the blood.
which he could feel streaming down his
cg. After a few minutes rest, he con-
inucd his search, fortunately found his
Bag, lighted u match, aud bound up his |
wounds with strips from his handkerchief
and shirt. Then he counted his cigars.
lighted one 10 Scguilc the time und soolh |
his hunger, and thanked God for saving
his life. "A,tcr all, he Thought, "should
he worst come TO the worst, | can pull
ut the stakes, thrust them into the wall
IF the pit, and by that means climb up
md escape" The hunter was nearly be-
lumod with the cold, rain, and loss Of
blood, when suddenly there was n noise 1
Ivcrhcad, and n heavy body fell on the |
stakes close to him. A bear had broken
through the trcllis work Of the branches,
md to judge by its grouns, il was severe
y injured. The next moment il came to-
ward the hunter, its shining eyes reflect
ng the flames OF his cigar. The huDtcr
new that wild beasts dread fire he
horeiore kindled wax light and placed il
N one OF the stakes in front OF him, The
ear rose on its hind legs, its breast gorcd
y the spike on which IL had fallen. The
unter seized his cnrbinc, and, as the bear
dyanccd his head, discharged his piece
nll in the monsters eye aud struck him
eud then he dragged his body into u
orncr and, leaning against it for warmth,
lcpt until daybreak, when he was rescued
nd carried home, wrapped in furs, on a
ledge,