National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-03-18

him, in the edge of the timber, he
beheld the camp fire of the hunting
party he had left in the morning.
His heart gave a leap of joy as the
light struck upon his vision, but it
sunk again as the fierce howiing of
the wolves gew louder and he reals
lied that they were within fifty
rods Of him, and would in all prob.
ability overtake him before he
could reach a place of safety. He
however did not pause to let them
gain upon him, but discharging his
rifle and shouting with all his might
to attract the attention of his
friends, he dashed down the slope
with the speed of the wind, and
Just as he reached the bottom he
came upon a dry watercourse but
discovered it too late to save him
self hon being prooipitotod over
the bank, and down he went about
twelve feet. striking with such force
as to stun him for a moment. But
the unearthly howls of the wolves
as they reached the summit he had
) just left, brought him to his senses,
and he staggered to his feet and
started up the bed of the water
course, loading his rifle as he went.
He found il was impossible to get
: out of this channel, which had been
made by the water during the rainy
seasons, without going some dis
tance up or down, as the banks
were almost perpendicular, and the
channel grew narrower as he adj
vanced. Meantime the wolves came
rushing down the slope and as the
= foremost reached the bank where
8 the trapper went down, they halted
for an instant, but those behind
/. came rushing on and half the pack
: went tumbling down the bank, their
/; furious snarling and sharp howls
D telling that they were tearing eacli
} other in pieces at the bottom. This
did not last long, however; for the
trapper soon heard the peculiar
$ howl that warned him that they
> were again upon his trail and close
/ at hand. He had now reached a
place where the channel was not
+ more than ten feet wide, and the
wolves being close upon him, he
} turned to meet them. On they
I came like pack of demons, ready
= to tear him in pieces. He leveled
: his rifle and as the foremost neared
him he fired and two rolled in the
I,.- - 1nt
? and lie dubbed his rifle and stood
: ready for them, determined to send
j more of them after their two cons
l panions before they finished their
supper off his body. In an instant
g they were upon him and his heavy
K rifle moved down the nearest thick
G and fast fell his blows, and half a
II dozen of the brutcs had already
: bit the dust, and he was beginning
to hope that he might hold out till
> his friends arrived, as the wolves
= could only approach him from one
5 side. But he is suddenly paral-
Z lied by a sound from up the chan
j; mel. 1t is the bowling of wolves
l. which are coming down upon him
= in the rear, and here he was hem
: med in and doomed to be torn in
/, pieces by these savage brutcs.
Il Just then he heard another sound,
= like the heavy tread of some large
animal, dashing along the bed oI
= the water course. He lad no time
> to spend in conjecturing what might
o becoming upon him in the rear, fol
e there in front of him was bowling
: pack of demons leaping at him
II and now and then tearing him witt
Is their sharp teeth, and with his
p utmost efforts he could just keel
l. them from tearing him in pieces
s. But his strength was beginning tC
D. fail, and the wolves pressed upon
Is him more furious than ever, anC
Il one huge beast with bound at his
e throat succeeded in fastening upon
lie his shoulder; he felt the teeth OF
y another piercing his thigh, and wa
IL sinking down to die, when sudden
" with tremendous shock, he fel
u himself lifted in the air, hurled ove
Il, the pack, and striking upon tn
,e ground among the wolves he ha'
III slain, he became unconscious.
rs When he revived he was lyin.
"a out upon the grass of the prairie
o. with his friends standing about hin
&C They had heard his shots and CHI
H. bowling Of the wolves, and hat
DC fastened to save him. When the.
arrived at the water-course, to tllei
a horror, they found as they supposed
OF the wolves picking the bones of tn
lis trapper. A few vollcys sent wha
a were left alive of tie wolves stink
IL ing away, and descending to thu
=, spot they found-not the bones o
III their friend-but the remains of
nc buffalo bull. A search soon dis
.c' covered the irapper lying in de
IL. preston at one side Of the channel
e. not more than a dozen rods away
I'll II was evident that the buflal
III being chased by wolves had D.
III some means taken to the bed q
ey the channel, and being unable t.
u turn out when he came upon The
er trapper, the wolves being close I've
,ii hind, had tossed him upon his horn
, and in the fight with the buffalo h
u had been overlooked by the wolves
rt His wounds, and tho shock h'
~ received. laid him up for severa
", weeks, but no one ever heard iii
w complain of the injuries he receives
OI Tr.,,, tl,a t,,,ty IL. h,,lI