Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-12-30
At Close Quarters with a Wolf.

LAST December happened to be unex-
pectedly detained at a small outlying ham
let in the wilma district tthe name of which
do not remember), and almost the first
man lighted upon there was German
engineer whom had formerly known at
Konigsberg, and who now insisted upon
making me his guest till l could get for
ward toward Smolensk. We sat late over
a very primitive supper, and my host (who
is keen sportslnan) was just limiting at
the possibility of getting up hunt for
the destruction of a wolf of uncommon
size and strength which had lately haunted
the neighborhood and committed great raw
ages, when terrible noise from the upper
end of the village, like "A score of voices all
shrieking at once, broke in upon our chat.
Zach lieber Gottl was ist das." cried
my companion, rushing TO the door, and
throwing it open. The whole place seemed
I in the height of confusion men were run
ming wildly hither and thither, women
screaming, children crying, lights glancing
to and fro. | seized the arm of a man who
was rushing past, and hastily asked what
was the matter.
Wolf again. gasped the fellow, who
could hardly speak; up yonder-woman
devOured-run for the watchman;" and
away he flew.
! The next moment my comradc and
were running at full speed toward the Scene
| Of the catastrophe, on reaching which we
! came suddenly upon spectacle which
shall not easily forget. The fitful glimmer
Of the rising moon, and the dying glare of
a fire kindIed overnight in the vain hope
! of soaring away the wolves, lit up circle
of wild figures and grim, bearded faces,
! convulsed with every varying form of pas
| sion-dumb horror, blank astonishment,
! panic fear, the spasm of bitter sorrow, the
stern calmpess of concentrated wrath In
! the background the gaunt white arms of
4 the leatless forest stood out against the
/ surrounding blackness like giant skeletons,
while in the centre of the group, half
buried in the tranpled and blood be-
smeared snow, lay motionless something
from which all involuntarily averted their
/ eyes-the lifeless wreck, mangled out of
all semblance of humanity of what had
I been but Il few hours before the pride of a
happy household and the beauty of the vii
! lage.
There are certain catastrophes in the
presence of which one is instinctively
4 silent. For several moments not word
is spoken; and in that dead pause of ex-
pectation I-haye leisure to remark the face
of peasant who stands opposite me. He
is young man of twenty-five or twenty
six, though his broad chest and powerful
limbs, as well as the magnificent brown
beard that waves over the bosom of his
sheep-skin froek, might make him appear
much older. His face is coarse and
weather beaten enough; but there is some
thing in that broau. low forehead, and
square, ruthless jaw, and small, deep set,
ghltering eye, which tells you at glance
that, whatever danger might confront him,
that man would be very hard to turn
While l am still looking at him he sud.
de1ly steps forward and speaks: "It is
? time to finish this" says he in tone
which there is no mistaking. "Who will
come with me into the forest, and make
an end of that brute, once for allg"
The summons does not remain long un
, ans wered. There is no braver man living
than the Russian peasant when his natur
=, ally sluggish blood is once up. Three meI
instantly volunteer to join him, while my
German FREUD and (already sufficiently
excited by all that we have seen and heard
! hasten to follow their example. Our prep
} arations are soon made, and about two il
!. the morning, under the full splendor o
J the winter moonlight, we set forth on tn,
J trail Of the destroyer. There is but on
gun among the six of us, the rest bein)
armed with clubs and hatchets; but tn,
German has likewise a short hunting
knife, which has done him good servic
before now.
| Tramp, tramp, it had been for miles
without sight or sound OF our. lurking
enemy, and the Russians, unused to sucl
. severe marching, begin to fall behind Th
German, myself, and one of the peasant
at length find ourselves alone, and halt, il
| order to give the other three time to COM
up. Already their steps are heard crunch
ing over the snow, and few moment
later the dark figures come gliding toWarl
us through the floating shadow; but, i
our astonishment, instead of three men
only two make their appearance. nOu
? leader is7still missing ~ q = ~
I Where is Michaelg 2" asks the German
The men look at each other without an
, swering, and every face reflects the sam
look of dismay for we all know wha
going astray in Russian forest in win
ter really means. In the dead husl
that follows we suddenly hear a distan
cry-not the deep, manly shout of
hunter calling to his mates, but the shrill
agonized yell OF q man in his extremes
need-the cry Of the climber who feels hi
hold relaxing, of the swimmer who find
Ids limbs failing him. The next momen
wea all fleeing in the direction Of tn,
sound.
Michael while auicksning his pace t.