The Republican journal., 1873-02-20
Wolf Hunting IN Russia.

A correspondent of the London Morn
ing Post gives a lively account of vol
| hunting, which is one of the favorite sport:
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 admonl
ton to ''tumble up and look sharp about
it, for there's no time to lose" You MAKE
hasty toilet, and salying forth see il
front of your hat, in the dim light OF tllt
coming dawn, a huge dark, shapeles:
mass, which, rs 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 fittul glare
making their grim bearded faces look
sgrimmer and less human than ever. Guns,
ammunition. haversacks. ETC.. are stowe
away in the bottom OF the conveyance
and last but not least, a young pig. pro-
testing against his abduction with a loud
ness and tluency that would do honor to a
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 90 into the darkness. Mile
after mile of the frozen waste goes by like
a dream, till at length the spectral shad-
ows of the forest begin to gather round
us. and the spueals of our unlucky PIG
(whose ears one of our party is now
pinching vigorously, begin to be an
swered by another sound, which no one
who has yet heard it will easily forget !;
not the long melancholy howl where with
4 snpperless wolf may be heard bemoan-
inc himself on the outskirts of our village
any night in the week, but the quick
snarlng cry of one who sees his food
coming and wishes to hasten it. And there
they come at last, the gaunt, why, SLOUGH
inc fellows, with their bushy tails, and
flat, narrow heads and yellow, thievish,
mu,derous eyes. Crack! the foremost of
ne pack rolls over on his side, Kicking
convulsivelv; but the rest gallop on I'M
needing. Crack crack! and two more
fall dead, blottng the snow with smear
of dull crimson. Some of the bodcst
pursuers swarm up to the sledge, and at
tempt 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 hind
most OF our party meanwhile blazing
away over our shoulders rs fast as they
can load. Ar so for time the running
fight goes tiercely on, making altogether
Il very striking tableau.
But 1.-THE pace is too stiff to last as
our leader remarks with a knowing grin.
\ run at full speed through the deep snow
tries even full-grown wolf too severely
to be continued beyond certain time, and
in the face of a stout resistance 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 good supper over night,
began to hang back rs if doubling the
wisdom of risking their lives tor Il hypo-
-hethical breakfast The speed of the
rest slackens by degrees, and at length
he whole pack drop off as if by tact
agreement, leaving us to pursue our way
As we emerge again upon
he open plain, across which the first
beams of the rising sun are Just beginning
o fall, we see the last of our grim follow
rs sinking like a belated spectre into the
gloomy shadows of the forest which we
nave quilted.