Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1883-05-05

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ing the early farmers so much trouble,
were peculiar in this respect; they were
great towards singly, and would trail the
heels of traveller bowling for recruits,
and not daring to begin the attack until
they had collected force that insured
success; then they became fierce and
bold, and more to be dreaded than any
other animal of the wilderness. And at
this point, when they considered their
numbers equal to the occasion. the howl
ing ceased.
Evan had been told of this and when
the silence began, he knew its meaning,
and his heart shuddered at the prospect.
His only hope lay in the possibility that
they might not dare to follow him across
the ice-bridge. But this hope vanished
saw by the moonlight several of the
gaunt creatures awaiting him on that
side. What should he dop No doubt
they would soon muster boldness to fol-
low him upon the ice and then his fate
would be sealed in moment.
In the emergency he thought of the
axes, and taking them from his neck cut
the cord and thrust his walking-stick into
one as ahelve, resolved to defend him.
self to the last.
At this instant he espied among the
thick, upheaved ice-cakes two great
fragments leaning against each other in
such way as to form roof with some
thing like a small room underneath.
Here he saw his only chance. Springing
within he used the ak to chip off other
fragments with which to close up the
entrance, and almost quicker than it can
be told had thus constructed a sort OF
fort, which he believed would withstand
the attack of the wolves. At nightfal
the weather had become colder and he
knew that in few minutes the damp
pieces of ice would be firmly cemented
together.
Hardly had he lifted the last piece to
its place when the pack came rushing
about him, swapping and snarling, but
at first not testing the strength OF his in
trenchment. When soon they began to
spring against it and snap at the corners
Of ice, the frost had done its work, and
they could not loosen his hastily built
wall.
Through narrow crevices he could look
out at them, and at one time counted
sixteen grouped together in council. AS
the cold increased he had to keep in
motion in order not to freeze, and any
extra action on his part increased the
fierceness of the wolves. At times they
would gather in a circle around him,
and after shifting at him eagerly, set up
a doleful bowling, as if deploring the ex-
cellent supper they had lost.
Ere long one of them found an open
ing at corner large enough to admit its
head; but Evan was on the alert, and
gave it such blow with the axe as to
cause its death. Soon another tried the
same thing, and met with the same re-
ception, Withdrawing and whirling
around several times, and then dropping
dead with broken skull.
One smaller than the rest attempting
to enter, and receiving the fatal blow,
crawled, in its dying agony, completely
into the Enclosure, and lay dead at Evans
feet. Of this he was not sorry, as his
feet were bitterly cold, and the warm
carcass of the animal served to relieve
them.
In the course of the night six wolves
were killed as they sought to creep into
his fortress, and several others so seri-
ously hacked as to send them to the
woods again; and however correct the
notion that when on the hunt they de-
your their fallen comrades, in this case
they did no such thing, as in the morn
ing the six dead bodies lay about on the
/ ice, and Evan had the profitable privi-
lege of taking off their skins.
Of his thoughts during the night a
} quotation from his diary is quantity sug-
gestive and characteristic:
IL bethought me of the wars of Glen
, dover, have read about, and the battle
of Grosmont Castle, and l said: i am
Owen Glendower; this is my castle; the
, wolves are the army of Henry; but l will
. never surrender or yield as did Glen
, DOVER"
Toward morning, as the change OF
weather continued and the waters Of the
river began to diminish there was sud-
denly a prodigious crack and crash Of
the ice-bridge, and the whole mass set
, tied several inches. At this the wolves
took alarm and in an instant fled. Per.
haps they might have returned had moi
J the cracking of the ice been repeated
frequently.
At length Evan became alarmed fol
his safety, lest the ice should break up in
the current, and Drinking his ak to bear
; soon burst his way out and fled to the
shore. But not seeing the ice crumblt
he ventured back to obtain the Other
ak and then hastened home to his EN-
J ployer.
During the day he skinned the wolves
and within a fortnight pocketed the
; bounty money. amounting in all to about
one hundred and fifty dollars. With thi!
money he made the first payment on ,
large farm which he long lived to cult
vate and enjoy, and under the sod o.