The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-03-25

Some years ago. but little hunting having
been done for some time, the wolves became
very numerous as well as very destructive,
not only in southwestern Virginia, but fear
fully so in western North Carolina so much
so that but few sheep had escaped them in
the vicinity of the Black, Yellow and Roam
Mountains, in Rip Van Wrinkles dominions.
The fame of Wilburn Waters as an intrepid
and successful hunter and trapper having
gone out into all that country, number of
farmers and stock raisers whose folds had
been broken up and scattcrcd-some sixty in
all-drew up an obligation to give him one
sheep each for every wolf he would capture,
in addition to the five dollars bounty given
by the county for each scalp. Wilburn ac-
cepted the proposition and killed several
wolves, but the deprcdations continued. He
again started on hunt. According to Coale's
life he held out faithfully though the wolves
led him from mountain to mountain and from
gorge to gorge, to great distances and for
weeks. But when he returned he brought
the scalps not only of that gang but of others,
making in all fortytwo wolves as his win
ter's hunt. Besides these he captured during
the hunt number of catamounts, few bears,
an otter or two and any number of wild tur-
keys and other small game
During the same general hunt he had an
exciting time with detachment of five
wolves that had wandered off to some dis
lance from the main gang. He was entirely
alone without even dog, high up one of the
tall peaks of the Roam Mountain and several
miles away from the nearest human habita-
ton. The five wolves he was in search of
were two old ones and three half grown
They had destroyed great deal of stock in
the range as well as in the adjacent valleys,
running out dogs that had been put upon the
trail and even evincing n disposition to attack
man when aOne
Wilburn had found "sign" and had follow
ed it up tall cliff near the summit of one of
the highest and most inaccessible peaks in
the range. 1t was sultry, drizzly day. and
having greatly fatigued himself working his
way up through tangled vines and laurel jun
giles and climbing over and around steep and
ragged precipiccs he lay down TO rest under
shelving rock and fell asleep In about an
hour he arose refreshed, and crawling out of
his resting place, he found that the old leader
of the gang had been accommodating while he
slept and had passed along on ledge few
feet below him Picking up his gun and
tomahawk, he took the track, and ON ap.
preaching a precipice, he saw the old male
wolf at its base quietly licking his chops and
apparently winding prey or an enemy in the
ulSlullCc plcullillly uuNunClHS WlllllH con-
venient range, Wilbun brought his shotgun
to bear and fired, when the largest and most
formidable wolf of the gang fell and died
without struggle. Securing the skin, he
made his way with great difficulty to the top
of the precipice and there, just beyond the
turn of the summit, he saw the four others,
three of them gamboling like puppies around
the dam, not having heard the report of the
gun under the cliff. They were in an open
place, and it was very difficult to get within
range without being seen, heard or wnded,
but he made out to SNAKE" it to within for
ty yards of them and pulled down" Two
of them dropped dead, but the old dam and
one of the cubs escaped into cavern near
by.
Having started out with the determination
Of capturing the whole family, he went to
digging with sharpened stick; he soon
reached the old one, which was too large to
get far into the hole, drew her out by the
hind legs and tied her feet together. He had
to widen the passage for distance of ten or
twelve feet before he could reach the other
The hole, after being thus worked out, was
barely large enough to admit his body, and,
it being impossible for the wolf to escape, he
had to meet it face to face. All that he could
see of the animal was its eyes, which shone
like two balls of fire in the darkness of the
cavern, ana, having no room 10 operate with
gun or tomahawk, he cautiously slipped his
hand over the VOLTS head, graspcd it by the
neck, brought it out and tied it as he had
the other. He then marched out into the set
Element with two live wolves and three skins,
without having received scratch or wasting
load of ammunition. The days work
brought him $175, made up by the settlers
whose stock had been destroyed and whose
lives had been menaced by the gang.-Rnor-
DiRe (7enn.) Tribune.
How CLAY CAPTURED NoTE.-lt is his
torical fact that the Fourteenth Congress, be-
ginning on the 4th of December, 1915, and
ending March 3, 1917, passed what is known
as the compensation bill. 1t gave to each
member salary of 81 500 per annum This
salary was regarded by the people as great
outrage, and they retired nearly all its sup
porters to private life, Henry Clay was
among the few who escaped the wrath of the
people. The anecdote has come down to us
that when he was canvasslng for renewal
of his commission an old gentleman who had
hitherto been his fast friend said to him =
"Mr. Clay, can sustain you no longer. Your
vote on that abominabe bill shocks my feel
ings." To which Mr.. Clay replied do
you ever go huntingw 'Often." "Haye
you good ritle?' "Onc of the best that
was ever made" elias it ever snapped !"
Eyes, sir" "What did you do with ii then
Did you throw itaway?" mo, sir. pick