The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-06-04
The Wolves Of yyallachia.

The Wolves Of Wallachia.
n - st.r7f 3JlessyT --isutr5s }lea.s,
The Wallachian wolves are very. large
gannt brutes. They are numerous and
bold. Not one night passes but that they
may be heard bowling around every village
and they become as well known jndi viiuai-
ly to the peasants, as a dog or COW. 1t is
the most common event possible for these
brutes to trot at their long. singing pace
through village at night, bringing out the
dogs, (Which, strong cross-breed between
the sheep dog and perhaps the mastiff,
swarm everywhere } and raising quite a
noctural cornmotion. But the, great scene
is when wolf carries off apig.- The pig
squeals, the dogs rush wildly out, every viii
lager-not knowing but that the pig may
be mis- own---rnns to the rescue. The dogs,
in all probability, fasten upon the poor pig
instead Of the wolf and allis noise, strus-
gle confusion; amidst which the depreiator
frequently walks off. leaving his mangled
porcinc prey behind. +. ,.s. af
Wolves are fond Of dogs flesh, and that.
once tasted, is ever afterwards sought for
with cunning pertinacity. Next to the dog
the, pig is liked and next to that the sheep
Now the wolf Of WalIechia--and perhaps,
for what 4 know, ofeyerywhere else-can-
not turn round his neck to bite.7 Like the
crocodile, he must turn on all four feet
hence the dogs. are safe so long as they do
not come in front, aid this they very well
know. But the cunning of the wolf is an.
overmatch for the sagac;ty of the dog,
which is caught and deyoured after this
manner:
= One wolf proceeds at the usual long tfot
along the village street !; dog leaps over
his his masters garden fence, and ypursues at
what he thinks safe distance behind; bu
behind him. comes confederate wolf, who
quietly sidles up, seizes his unfortunate
domesticated congener. and at the frst to
ken Of the onslaught the foremost wolf
wheels round, and in .trice the dog is Lter
ally, severed in two! s6- t a. d
l., Wolves are shot in various ways. when
tnep are beaten for. mares come first. next
foxes. and last of all suddenly and only
some few yards behind the line of beaters,
come on the reluctant wolves. An Eiey
is again the best missile of des-
structon but even although the very heart
Of the animal be driven out, he 10 tenacious
Of life, struggl es onward, and viii in his dy
ing throes bite through oak saplings of sew
erai years growth. Nothing drops him but
a shot affecting the spine, more especially
if at the nape ofthe neck. Fhey never at
tack mankind, not even children except
when wounded izr
can be drawn into an neutrality-suspicious.,
SLY. A number Of dead sheep are darx =,
all around the village on a wide circuit, and
then ypegged down to the ground. ha The
sportsm an takes his position within close
range, and sooner or later the wolves make
their appearance and receive the voliey.-
From the well known fact that wolf, If ev
er 80 slightly wounded, is at once put out
of pain aad demolished by. his good natured
friends. the discharge is certain to be more
On one occasion my informant had taken.
his position at che door Of a summer house,
about half q mile from his residence, and
within twenty-five yards Of a good dozen OF
si,eap. It. was d bitterly cold night, and
snow lay on the ground. About midnight
he gave up hope of the approach Of wolves
within such time as he could bear the sever
ity of the weather: and making up his mind.
like thoys at school, to couns one hundred
and then go home, he had just begun his
enumeration, when one large wolf came in
sight at an uncertain range After some
accommodating this ore wolf went off and
broguht another two equally truculent COM
panions, but they never came into what
their anxious observer considered a perfect
" safe shot,, These three wolves. perhaps
through some peculiar trick of cunning, pro-
ceeded for nearly half an hour to gambol on
the snow exactly as rabbits do, leaping over
each other and performing many antic evo
lutions, and then all at once went off to-
gether, not having eaten any part of the
sheep. ss@'i.''st'&
l..P ,,,,;.is.t5H at ~fiahear g. EEYH
Soon afterwards, to the great surprise o
the sportsman, he observed long. dark
thin line of animals, like the sea serpent
upon terra firma, coming on right toward
him Indian Gle. This was quite out OF rule
as neither he nor any one he could after
wards inquired of, had ever heard or knowi
of wolves approachinga q bait or travelling at
ter this fashion. But surprise almost CAV
way to fear, although in man Of well-triet
nerve on many battle Geld and Wild spor
ting adv venture, when the head Of Il Q col
umn, as may tern it., passed the bait an'
came right at himself. Taking aim at tn
leader, now only few yards off. the sho
not only stopped him, but threw him bsc
and over upon his rump among those DO,
hind, Those gathering hisgledypigsled.
over and around him, receiving among ther
ths contents Of the second barrel, after sb
!, discharge of which immediate shelter va
found within the .summer-hoase.-7Rapidl
), loading his gun his, custom was to ,ise
such occasions, button this happened To hav
ono only the -enortsmani isst,ed from, HI