The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-11-09
a wOLF'STORY.


Tales of ieudal magnifcence in ancient
times rival the stories that lend roman
tic history to scenes ofthe same charac-
ter in Scotland, and the Rhine passes
in it's course through all the varied
changes Of rugged magnificence to the
calm waters that are bounded by fertile
valleys, resembling rather the placid
quiet of lake than the progress OF a
stream. Through all these contracted
! ce ies
The river nobly foams and flows,
The charm of this enchanted,
! And all las thousand turns disclose
Some fresher beauty varying round"
The Upper Rhine formed a frontier
deIartment Of France, and Alsace,
which belonged to the German Empire
till l26S, after passing to the control OF
Austria, was finally annexed to France
by Louis XIV, in 1897, and the pro-
vince is now the battlefield Of Prussia
In the west of this province are the
chains Of the Vosges and Jura noun
tains. These stretch in gloomy mag.
nificence, and with the exception Of the
poor Alsatian weavers, are rarely pene
trated save by an adventurous hunter
in pursuit Of game. The chamois here
are sought by the sportsmen or pursued
by the wolf, who make this nimhle-foot.
cd courser of the forest their chief sub
sistence, save when in descent upon
some fertile or cultivated spot IL lie
plains, they extend their forays to the
sheep told Of the peasant.
Rarely, however, does the wolf make
these incursions, unless impelied by the
stern dictates Of hunger. This spurs
the natural laziness of his disposition,
and he then becomes the most danger
Gus OF ravenOus animals, exercising all
he sagacitv OF the fox, with an insa-
,iate rapacity that leads him in extren it,
to prey upon the carcass Of his brother
wolf. The tptid ordor of his body is
80 disagreeable that dogs will hardly at
tack him, and the flesh refused TO be
eaten, even by the bloodhound who pur-
sues his trail.
An old hunter relates nights expe-
rience in the forest Of the V0sges (when
the presence of these animals was more
numerous than at the present time),
and how, 10y an ingenious ruse, he de-
Tended himself and dogs from the onset
Of pack of these rapacious beasts.
Night had overtaken the hunter, more
than league and half from the near
est civilized border Accustomed to the
bivo uac, he did not hesitate to spend
the night in the forest, relying upon the
result of his days labors for satisfac-
tory meal, which, with huntsmaR's
providential skill, was duly prepared by
the cheerful fire that contributed both
nourishment and warmth. No sign of
a lurking foe was remarked until, warn
ed by the instinct of his dogs who
crouched at his feet, their hair bristliDg
with terror, the expert hunter was noti-
fied of present danger An instants
reflection, and if he had any doubt of
the cause, it was certified by the pro-
Ionged howl, rather than bark, which
distinguishes the wolf from the dog.
rhe hunter had ensconsed himself in
the tissure of governed rock, and he
felt secure that he could be attacked
from one side only. So he prepared
himself against any surprise, and, cast
inc fresh wood upon the fire, peered in
to the darkness, where the dark forms
| with cleaning eyes revealed the presence
of his wolfsh aSsailants. The hunter
felt that to make an open attack, or
even forcibly resist assault, would be a
useles hope. He well knew that the
brightness of the fire would deter i'm
mediate assault The only fear was,
that his supply Of material falling short,
this method OF defense would be ex-
hausted.
At last bright thought suggested
itself to his hunters experience, and
knowing that the nature OF wolves was
sometimes appalled, by the scraping OF a
violin, he drew from his breast his
flute and struck upon it the highest keys
in the loudest notes.
The effect was as instantaneous as re-
markable. A rushing sound OF flying
Feet sounded accompaniment to the
notes of the flute, and the rustliug of
leaves in the distance died away as the
ravenous pack fed TO the inner recesses
of the forest. The hunter slept no
more that night, but vigilantly stood
guard until the patrol OF the moon had
passed and the CLEAN Of dav assured
him OF present safety.
Since then he never ventured 10
make a bivoudc without companions,
even in the forest bordering on civiliza-
ton, for at that period it was not I'M
usual for predatory wolf, urged by
hunger, to seek the border settlements
and bear off the sheep Of the hardy peas
ant. The wolf of this section is the
!. size OF large mastitf, of grayish, yell
low color, that in colder regions be-
comes white in winter Some natural
ISIS claim that the wolf and jackal are
nothing more than wild dogs, but whilst
there Is q general resemblance, they
differ in the details of their structure,
and must be placed in separate genera.
In their dental contraction they as
simulate with the dog, with the excep
ton that in the wolf some of the teeth
have flat surfaces for crushing their
food, inasmuch as they live on vegeta-
BILE as well animal substances. The
wolves that formerly infested Scotland
exist no more, and even in Germany the
race is now nearly extinct. When their
presence is ascertained 6attue is formed
of the neighboring peasantry, who
muster with scythes and pike-guns, and
every other assailable weapon, and these
rapaciops beasts, terocious when attack
ing the defenseless, are readily slain by
the united, force OF man.
The wolf when taken young, may
be domesticated and rapidly breed with
dogs, and their rog my are esteemed as
valuable she; h rds' dogs
/ In the East as In Eurone. they are