The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-09-12
Putnam's Adventure with the Wolf.

In the year 1889, he removed from Sa-
lem to POmfret, an inland fertile town
in Connecticut, forty miles east of Hart
ford. Having here purchased consider
able track of land, he applied himself sue
cessfully to agriculture.
The first years on farm are not, how
ever, exempt from disasters and disappoint-
ments, which can only be remcdled by
stubborn and patient industry. Our farm
err, sufficiently occupied in building a
house and barn, telling woods, making
fences, sowing grain, planting orchards,
and taking care of his stock, had to en-
counter, in turn, the calamities occasion
ed by drought in summer, blast in harvest,
loss of cattle in winter, and the dcSOla'i0n
OF his sheeptuld by wolves. In one night
he had seventy tiue sheep and goats kill
ed, besides many lambs and kids wound
ed. This havock was committed by "a
she-wolt, which, with her annual whelps,
had for several years infested the vicinity.
The young were commonly destroyed toy
the vigilance of the hunter, but the Old
one was too sagacious to come within
reach of gun-shot. Upon being closely
pursued, she would generally fly 10 the
western woods, ami return next winter
with another litter Of whelps.
This wolf, at length, became such an
intolerable nuisance, that Mr. Putnam
entered into a combination with five of
his neighbors to hunt alternatly until they
could destroy her. Two, by rotation,
were to be constantly in pursuit. 1t was
known that, having lost the toes from one
foot by a steel trap, she made one track
shorter than the other. BY this vestige
the pursucrs recognized, IN light snow,
the route of this peTnicious animal. Hav-
ing followed her to the Connecticut river
and found she had turned back in a direct
course toward Pomfret, they immediate
" returned, and by ten o'clock the next
morning the blood-hounds had driven
her into a den, about three miles distant
from the house of Mr.. Putman. The
people collected with dogs, guns, straw,
fire, and >uIpher, to attack the common
enemy. With this apparatus, several I'M
successful attempts were made to force
her from the den. The hounds came
back badly wounded, and refused to re-
turn. The smoke Of blazing straw had
no etfec.. Nor did the fumes of burnt
birthstone, with which the cavern wa,
filed, COMPEL her to quit the retire
ment. Wearied with such fruitless at
tempts, (Which had brought the time to
ten O'Clock at night Mr.. Putnam tried
once more to make his dog enter, but in
vain He proposed to his negro man to
90 down into the cavern and shoot the
wolf; but the negro declined the hazard
hot
ter, angry at the disappointment, aud
declaring that he was ashamed to have
coward IN his family, resolved himsf to
destroy the ferocious beast, lest she
should escape through some unknown tis-
sure in the rock. His neighb0rs strong
~ demonstrated against the perlous en-
terprse; but he, knowing that wild ami
mails were intimidated by fire, and hay
ing provided several strips of birch bark.
the only combu-tibie material which he
could obtain that would afford light in
this deep and darksome cave, prepared
for hi- descent Having, accordingly, di-
vested himself of hi. coat and walstcoai.
and having a long roap fastened around
his legs, by which he might be pulled
back at concerted sigma, be entered
head foremost, with the blazing torch in
his hand.
The aperture Of the den, on the east
side 81 . very high edge Of rocks, is
about. TAO feet square; from thence it de
scends ooliquely about fifteen feet, then
running horizontally about ten more, it
asscerds gradually sixteen feet towards
its termination. The sides Of this sub.
terrancau cavity are composed of smooth
and solid rocks which seem To have been
divided rom each other 10y some former
earthquake. The top and bottom are al
so of stone, and the entrance in winter,
being covered with ice, is exceedingly
slippery. 1t is in no place high enough
for a nan to raise himself upright, nor
in any part more than three feet In
width.
Having CROPPED his passage to the hori-
zontal portion of the den, the most terri
fyinQ darkness appeared in front of the
dim circle of light afforded by his torch.