Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-06-03
A NIGHT WITH THE WOLVES.


'' A number of years ago." said an old
settler, whom | met ON my Western
travels, 8 | took my family to Wisconsin,
and located myself in the woods, about
ten miles from the nearest settlement.
and at least five from the nearest neigh
Dor. The country round was mostly
forest; and wild beasts and Indians
were so numerous, that my friends at
the East. to whom ] gave description of
my locality, expressed great fears for our
safety, and said they should be less sur
prised to learn of our having all been cut
off than to hear OF our still being alive
out there at the end of a couple of years.
" However, l did not feel much
alarmed on my own account-and my
wife was as brave as a hunter; but then
we had three children-the Oldest only
ten-and sometimes, when | was away
from home, the sudden growl of bear,
the howl of a wolf, or the scream of a
panther would make me think of them.
and feel quite uneasy.
For a while, at first. the night
screeehing and howling of these wild
animals alarmed the children a good
deaf-and sometimes my wife and me
especially when we mistook the cry the
panther for an Indian yell; but we soon
got used to the different sounds, and
then did not mind them so much; and
after had got few acres cleared
around the dwelling, they generally
kept more distant at night-iust as if
they. comprehended that the place, now
in the possession of their enemies, was
no longer to be an abode for them. Be
sides, I now and then shot one, which
thinned them a little, and probably
frightened the others, for they gradually
became less bold and annoying.
During the first year | had two
rather narrow escapes-once from a
bear, and once from panther; but the
most remarkable adventure of all was
the one which happened during the
second winter, and which have always
designated as Night with the Wolves. ,
One bitter cold morning-the ground
being deeply covered with snow, so
crusted and oxen that no feet could
sink into it-I brought out the horse for
my wife to ride to c., the nearest
settlement, where she had some pur-
chases to make, which she wished to
attend to herself Besides being well
muffied up in her own clothing. 7
wrapped large buffalo robe around
her; and admonishing her that the
woods were full of danger after dark.
urged her to be sure and get back before
sunset, which she promised to do.
All day long, after her departure,
from some cause for which could not
account, / felt very much depressed and
uneasy, as if something evil were going
to happen; and when / saw the sun
about half an hour high, and no signs of
my wife returning, / got out my pistols,
rifle, ammunition and hunting-knife.
saddled a young and rather skittish colt,
and bidding the. children keep within
doors, and the house safely locked.
mounted and rode off to meet her, which
| expected to do at every turn of the
horse-patli. But at every turn / was
doomed to disappointment; and when |
had put mile after mile behind me. with
out seeing any signs of her, became
more and more alarmed, and dashed on
still faster
:" It was just about dark when | saw
the lights of c. cleaning in the dis
tance; but before reached the town |
met my wife fastening homeward --she
having been unexpectedly detained by
meeting an old acquaintance, who had
recently come on from the Eastward, and
with whom she had remained to gather
the news and take supper-the time
passing away so quickly as to render her
belated before she was aware of it.
was greatly rejoiced to find her
safe and unharmed-but not little