Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-05-01
MOli-Hunting in Russia.

| a CORRESPONDENT fthe London Norn5nq
| Post gives a lively account of wolfhunt-
ing, which Is one Of the favOritc sports in
| those parts of Russia where the animals
have not disappeared before advancing
| civilization. AT some abnormal hour be
tween night and morning you are aroused
| by vigorous shake and a hOarse admOni-
! ton to tumble up and look sharp about
1t, for there's no time to lose" You make
hasty toilet, and, sallying forth, see in
front OF your hut, in the dim light of the
coming dawn, a huge, dark, shapeless
mass, which, as your eyes get used to the
| darkness assumes the form of a broad,
heavy, threehOrse sled@e with very high
sides, not unlike an enormous washing
tub, around which fit three or four spec
tral figures with lanterns-the fitful glare
| making their grim bearded faces look
| grlmmer and less human than ever Guns,
| ammunition, havcrsacks, ETC. are slowed
| away in the bottom of the CONVEYANCE :;
and last, but not least, q young pig, pro
testing against his abduction with "a loud
ness and tiuency that would do honor to
Hyde Park meeting. All being now
| ready, the hunters squeeze themselves
into their places, the driver shakes his
relns with a wild WhOOp, and away we 90
| frozen waste goes by like dream, till at
length the spectral shadows Of the forest
begin to gather round us, and the squeals
OF our unlucky pig (whoSe ears one OF our
party IS now pinching Vigorously begin
to be answered by another sound which
no one who has once heard it will easily
torget-nOt the long melancholy howl
wherewith a supperless wolfmay be heard
bemOaning himself on the outskirts of our
village any night in the week, but
the quick, snarling cry of one who
sees his food coming and wishes
to hasten to it. And there they come at
last, the gaunt, wiry, slouching fellows,
with their bushy tails and fiat narrow
heads, and yellow, thievish, murdcrous
eyes. Crack! the foremost of the pack
rolls over on his side, kicking convulsive-
ly; but the rest gallOp on unheeding.
Crack. crack. and two more fall dead,
blOtting the snow with a smear of dull
crimson. Some of the boldest pursuers
swarm up to the sledge, and attempt to
leap over its projecting Sides while we
pound their heads with the butt ends of
our pieces, and chop their paws with
hatchets, and slash them across the eyes
with hunting knives; the two hindmost of
our party meanwhile blazing away over
And so, for a time, the running fight goes
tiercely on, making altogether very
striking tableau. But "the pace is too
stiff to last" as our leader remarks with
a knowing grin. A run at full speed
through deep snow tries even a grown
wolf too severely to be continued beyond
a certain time; and in face of a stout re-
SlStance the beasts inherent cOWardice is
sure to come to the surface sooner OF
later. Already three or four gaunt shaggy
veterans, who have probably had a good
supper over night, begin to hang back as
if doubling the wisdom of risking their
lives for a hypothetical breakfast. The
speed of the rest slackens by degrees;
and at length the whole pack drop off as
if by taeit agreement, leaving us to pur-
sue our way unmolested. AS We emerge
.gain upon the open plain, across which
the first beams of the rising sun are just
beginning to fall, we see the last of our
grim followers sinking like a belated
spectre into the gloomy shadows of the
forest which we have quilted.