The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1871-02-24
"REMINISCENCES OF AN ENGINEER.
A Wolf Chase.


We were engaged for some weeks
after the incidents mentioned, finishing
our "cross ~sectionipg," and Just as our
work was completed, we received in
structions from headquarters, to con-
tinue our survey from a point about
thirty miles distant, and one fine morn
ing our wagons drove up to the farm
house, were quickly loaded with bag
gage and instruments, and away we
started. Pete and myself aYailed our
selves of two saddle horses which were
hired for special service, and after pro-
viding ourselves with sandwiches, ETC.,
we trotted leisurely ahead of the wagons
and made a bee line acros country, for
our destination.
We had an unbroken stretch of
prairie before us and were delightfully."-
ignorant of the country we had to pass
through, but depended upon ourpocket
compass to make matters right. An
old country 'Coolie" dog named
"Scottie insisted upon accompanying
us, he not paying the least heed to our
orders to "go home" We rode on for
and sloughs, habitations being "few
and far between ~ the prairie spread
ing out before us, green and level as a
billiard table. ] was enjoying to the
utmost the pleasant breeze and sun
shine, and the peculiar satisfaction of
riding "cross country on a horse,
whose ambition increased at every
stride, when suddenly, I was startled
with, "Look there, Charley, there goes
a wolff After him, Scottiei One
glance WA enough; the next moment
with a Simultaneous shout we were in hot
pursuit. The horses seemedto share our
excitement and we soon had to hold
them In, for we closed up rapidly with
dog and wolf, and although they both
~''traveled," 1 judge we could have
overtaken them, but we preferred to
see the sport. Scottie had evidently
seen prairie wolves before, but this be-
ing a large one and very savage, Scot
tie wisely kept Just out of reach of the
sidelong snaps the wolf made every
now and then at him. There wa a
fine display of formidable teeth, and
neither animal seemed inclined to
throw away a chance. Suddenly the
dog, IN response to our CRY, "Seize
him, Scottie,n made q rush, and with
a sharp bark seized the wolf by the leg,
and over they rolled. They were on
their feet in a moment, Scottie having
the wolf by the throat, and both fight
ing for dear life. Scottie held on with
wonderful tenacity, maintaining his adj
vantage without the least noise, al
though I saw that he had lost half his
left ear in the battle.
The horses would not approach near
er, so we dismount d, and Pete endea-
vored to get a shot at the wolf with a
revolver. At this moment, by a des-
perate effort, the wolf threw the dog,
and Pete, unable longer to restrain him.
self. fired, and missed. They were so
mixed up that Pete's shot was danger
alike to friend and enemy; the re-
port startled both animals, and the
wolf, taking advantage of the moment,
darted away In a new direction, and
away we went after him. Ihad snatch
ed the revolver from Pete and fired sew
eral times to no effect, when the wolf
suddenly disappeared as if the earth
had swallowed him. Scottie went up
to the spot, and dismounting, we found
a hole about a foot in diameter, down
which he had vanished. He had found
ecure refuge; so having fairly "run
him to earth, u we left him, with many
kind wishes for his future safety
Scottie, evidently cherishing a grudge
against the ~uncivilized relative who
had deprived him of half his ear, very
reluctantly followed us.
We had deviated about half a mile
from our course, but o on reached the
timber belt that had looked like a little
cloud on the horizon an hour previous
ly. On emerging from the timber we
came Unexpectedly upon a perfect para
disc for pic-nics; it was a natural
nj over a mile long, with maple,
oak and hickory trees, of a larger
growth than is usually met with in that
part of the country, on either side, the
clear space being about three hundred
yards wide for the eutire length of the
valley, a small stream running in the
center as far as we could see. 1t was a
landscape gem ofnature's ownpainting.
We found a cottage almost hidden by
the foliage of grand old naples, and
here we had a homely but substantial
dinner and fed the horses, and after
wards made the remaining distance in
about an hour.
Our new location was a farmhouse
situated upon a knoll and sur
rounded by trees. The farm was ]
extensive and well cultivated, and {
after putting up our horses we were in I
ylted by our new host, Nh. Brady, to
have a look round and help him exter-
inmate some rabbits, which were lust g
then very plentiful and destructive: so
with a gun apiece and two dogs, we G
towards an inclosed patch, near ]
which were a number of wood-piles. C
Almost as soon as we reached the Usage f
hedge, two rabbits popped out, and
Pete blazed away in fine style with both
barrels, but to no effect; we saw the a
shot strike right and left, but Pete was
convinced that the rabbits would not i
go far, and he was sure he had hit one. 4
at least. +
While he was reloading, the dogs e
four more from another wood a
pile, Brady dropping two in fine style. v
g Here's another cried out Pete. v
behind me 1 turned sud. e
denly and saw a white tail bobbing M q
and down, and without aim fred. and s
by the merest luck, some of the shot s
struck bunny" who rolled over and \
''S1 oAO was OCpOoAtcu q minute after "
nj feet by n of the dogs; nv '
companions judged it a good shot, but e
I knew hotO If was, and kept discreet o
r
We now went for the "patchn in Il
which numbers of rabbits were darling o
backwards and forwards and running n
llong the hedge rows. The fun grew I
asst and furious; all we had to do was K
shoot quickly, and in less than an q
we had over twenty, o (which mum Fl
Der, Brady killed nine. Inever seen SO c,
many rabbits in such a small space as al
saw nea the i~nclosure, and / did m
wonder that the farmers complain ii
d OF their destructiveness. Il
We saw the wagons approaching, so N
'ollectlng u game we started for the I
louse in good spirits, and discussed W
'Nimrod" with the boys over a hearty a,
upper. CHAs. E. NORTON. Il
"a WI PRINT the advertisement of -
he American Watch Co. in another column. al