Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-04-24

A ACORRESPONDENT Ofthe London H0j

A CORRESPONDENT ofthe London Morning
Post gives a lively account of Wolfhunt-
ing, which is one of the favorite 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
| it, for there's no time to lose.n You make
hasty toilet, and, sallying forth, see in
| front of your hut, in the dim light of the
| coming dawn, huge, dark, shapeless
| mass, which, as your eyes get used to the
darkness assumes the form of broad,
heavy, three-horse sledge with very high
sides, not unlike an enormous washing
| tub, around which fit three or four spec
| trail figures with lanterns-the titful glare
making their grim bearded faces look
| grmmer and less human than ever. Guns,
ammunition, haversacks, etc, are slowed
| away in the bottom of the conveyance;
and last, but not least IA young pig, pro
| testing against his abduction with loud
| ness and fiuency that would do honor to
HYDE Park meeting All being now
| ready, the hunters squeeze themselves
| into their places, the driver shakes his
| reins with wild whoop, and away we go
into the darkness Mile after mile of the
| 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
! forget-not the long melancholy howl
| wherewith supperless wolfmay be heard
| bemoaning himself on the outskirts of our
| viii iobt bp II
| 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 flat, narrow
| heads, and yellow, thievish, murderous
| 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 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 hlndmost OF
| our party meanwhile blazing away over
our shoulders as fast as they can load.
! A1itl SD, IOT llIue- iut IuHdliIg Hent SoCS
| fiercely on, making altogether very
striking tableau. But "the pace is too
| stiff to last" as our leader remarks with
knowing grin. run at full speed
| through deep snow tries even grown
wolf too severely to be continued beyond
| a certain time: and in face of stout re
| sistance the beasts inherent cowardice is
sure to come to the surface sooner or
| 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 tacit agreement, leaving US to pur-
sue our way unmolested As we emerge
again upon the open plain, across which
the first beams of the rising sun are just
f, 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.