Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-12-01
Galfs a,l0 Sketftfs.


A tired but happy looking crowd of
miners were gathered in the one business
house Of small mining camp. not very
manv miles from Denver, one Saturday
evening. The week had been q pleasant
one, and the work on the shafts had been
prosecuted vigorously, as it was getting
we'll into October. and it was necessary
that certain development work shonld be
done before snow came. which might Sc
riously impede. if not stop operations al
together for the winter. The store, like
all Of its kind, added to its other stock Of
necesaries a plentiful supply of 'blue-
grass" and under its cheering effect the
BOYS became quite laxative, and their ex-
periences, when the country was newer,
became the order of the evening.
did ever tell you how | was freed BY
a wolff" asked Bill Gourley, one of the
oldest miners in the camp, and barnacle
Of the barnacles. The responses were
unanimously in the negative.
Bill. You see, bad just been down to
the creek Cherry creek. what is now
Denver) to order some supplies for our
camp, and toward evening was on ms
return through the canyon below here.
when saw standing before me on the trail
huge gray wolf: not one Of the small
snarling. coyardly coyote kind. but a
powerful limbed brute, as large as a
Newfoundland. but which appeared to
me at that moment several times larger.
There he stood. gauDt and fierce. smack
ing his chops with vim over his antici-
pated meal, that was ANYTHING but pleas
ant to the possible subject OF it. What
TO do knew not. Ii ! made a step in
advance the brute growled and showed
his teeth in fierce manner, which warn
ed me that the way was effectually barred
to me. I dare not retreat, as these tireless
fiends, knew, could outrun or at least
tire out the fleetest horse, and | had for
gotten to say, had left my gun for re-
pairs and hadn't so much as a revolver
with me. In this dilemma cast nv eyes
around and saw a solitary pine tree few
rods from the trail to the right. Without
further consideration | ran TO it and
climbed to an overha1ging branch. closely
pursued by his wolfshp, who arrived di
rectly beneath the tree at the same mo-
ment was secure in its branches. was
safe for the time being, but the situation
was far from pleasant. Every movement
| made produced a similar one from the
brute, who meanwhile added to the I'M
pleasantness of the occasion by continu-
alton OF the most unearthy bowls from his
wolfsh throat, as if woolng me to come
down and furnish him his meal. Peering
down through the lower branches, there
in the cold moonlight could see my ene-
my glaring at me with his oblque, green
ish eyes. and many times during the night
I contd ip,aUinn his VellnWIsh fan0s
crunching through my bones, and my sus-
pense was simply horrible. The hours
seemed weeks. and the memory of those
eyes and that unearthly howl still haunts
me. Finally, after ages seemed to have
passed. the moonlight was gradually sue
ceeded by daylight. and after few linger
ing, parting bowls the wolf departed and
Strengthened out my stiffened limbs and
slid TO the ground. When reached the
cabin | was thoroughly exhausted, and
lay down and slept nearly the whole day
The experience shall remember as long
as live.-"R0cku Mountain NeWs.