The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-01-16
AFTER A WOLF.

One of the most muscular, powerful
limbed settlers on the old New York
frontier, q century since, was Henreich
Kaupman. His arms were like piston
rods, and he could drive his huge mallet
fists with such = tremendous momentum
as TO fell an OK as if stricken by a thun-
derbOlt.
1t is said that he was once caught by
two irOn-muscied MOhawks, each arm
ed with knives, while Henreich had
neither; yet at the first onset he frac-
tured the skull Of the foremost Indian,
and bore the second one to the earth as
if he was nothing but an infant The
Indian never assumed the perpendicular
again.
All this is by way Of introduction to
an adventure that kaupman once had
with pack of wolves, and which came
fearfully nigh having a fatal result for
him.
The winter Of II WAS an unusually
severe one throughout the Northern
States, and many deaths from exposure
and starvation occurred before the OPEN
ii3n9cc-o of-sDTiug. The wolves. bears and
wild animals 6ecame nearly famished
from hunger, and, as, = consequence,
were unusually fierce and couIa. eOuSi-
They came down from the mountains,
and woe to the sheepfold that was left
unprotected during the night. They
were sure to be invaded 10y the starving
animals, and not sheep would live to
tell the tale.
There were tracks around the barns,
where the wolves had trotted all night
in their search for some means of en-
trance their howls could be heard thro'
the still, cold hours, and more than one
house wife had been chased to her very
door by imprudently yenturing forth af-
ter night fall.
Many of the settlers sat in the upper
stories of their houses. and amused
themselves shooting tie wolves for
whose scalps the Government had q
standing bounty Of several shillings.
Hcnreich Eaupaan remained at home
only YcntUTing forth to attend to his
dumb animals, and see that they were
properly protected during the night
But after awhile his stock Of groceries
became low, and finally gave out alto
gether. True. he and his family could
live upon TIE poultry, sheep and animals
they owned, but il was rather unpleas-
ant to be without tea. coffee, sugar,
salt. and many ether articles that were
more necessities than they were IuXu-
riCs
BY this time. too, the roads had been
trayeTsed so much that they were thor
oughly broken, and HenTeich concluded
to harness mp his mare to his sled and
go to the village, about four miles dis
tant. and procure the articles which he
50 much needed.
With Il want of foresight which he
could never explain. he started out upon
D. hosrf
a keen-edged Ratchet. which was car
ried in case the sled should give out
In his house hung his tTUSty rifle, bat
neither he nor his wife seemed to imag-
inc that there would be any call for it,
and hc drove chearily away, bidding his
wife a merry goodbye as his mare went
at spanking gait down Che road toward
the village.
The latter place-which more proper
ly might be termed q settlement-was
reached in due time, the groceries al
bought, and everything was in readiness
to start hJmeWard
UCnrcich had been stOrn-bOund sl
long in his house that he found tbs
cOmpdnionship Of his friends at the vii
lage cavern extremely agreeable. TheiC
was SO much to talk about, 50 much
news TO listen TO, such a quantity o.
gossip regarding the affairs OF the
neigh0orhood, that the time slipped un
+ consciously by, until, when he arose tc
60, ne found it was almost dark.
still he had no fears, as his wiz
would understand that he had remained
at the village, and there was no neccssI
. ty COR hIE immediate return.
/ As he turned uomewa~d and left th
{ village behind him, and noticed that tht
dim light by which le sYas trayellin.
belonged TO the moon, i flashed upol
him that perhaps he WOEld encOunte
7 danger before reaching home, and n
regretted, fer the twentieth time, tina
ne had left bis rifle behind
The road, deep between The drifts o
snow, was O. just sufficient width 70
Ehe little mare and sled, and the spirite
l5ttle animal Went forward ct n swi!
gait, while Henreich, somewhat sJup
fed and weary, was beguiled into drOW
si2ess by the easy, gliding motion of tn
sled.
lie was half asleep and half consciOu.
When he became sensible of rapid il
crease in the motiOn of the sled. II
felt Is jerk several times beneath him
and al a. once fereer jerk than llsua
accompanied by a neigh Of terror, Uhic
e1fectu2lly aroused hin, and he sat bO
upright and looked arO2nd. He locke
iii front. All were its wonted appear
ance-a s-ild, struggling piece of woe
standing two feet deep in snow th
narrow track twisting through it; th
heavens c05d and clear: the cart
white; but close behind the sled WEI
thlee gaunt animals, canteriag heavil,
Hhile a fourth was fast gaining behin,
The jaws OF the leading wolf, OWN
to the lowness OF the sled, We're with
reach OF Henreici's shoulder Bnt I'll
latter cared little for this. The brute
were after the mare, and upon her e0u
age and fortitude depended the escaE
of herself and master.
If the alarmed creature could haY
the nerve to keep steadily onward III I'll
trsck. she had a good chance Of eludiu
Z H.