Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-10-29
A Narrow Escape.


Altogether his actions were so odd
that | felt some curiosity 20 learn his
history. 1t turned out that he had
been through n rather uncGnny eXpe-
rience the winter before. He and
another man had gone into a remote
basin, or inclosed valley, in the heart
of the mountains, where game was
very plentiful; indeed, il was so
abundant that they decided TO pass
the winter there. Accordingly they
put up log cabin, working hard, and
merely killing enough meat for their
Immediate, use. just as it was finish
ed winter set in with tremendous
snow-storms. Going out TO hunt, in
the first lull, they found, to their con-
sternation, that every head Of game
had left the valley. Not an animal
was to be found therein; they had
abandoned it for their winter haunts.
The outlook for the two adventurers
was appalling. They were afraid Of
trying TO break out through the deep
snow-drifts, and starvation stared
them in the face If they ataid. The
man that | met had his dog with him.
They put themselves on very short
commons, so as to use up their -four
as slowly as possible, and hunted un-
weariedly but saw nothing. Soon a
violent quarrel broke out between
them. The other man, a fierce, sui
len fellow insisted that the dog should
be killed, but the owner was exceed
ingly attached TO IL and refused. For
a couple of weeks they spoke no
words TO each other, though cooped
in the little narrow pen Of logs. Then
one night the owner OF the dog was
awakened by the animal crying out F;
the other man had tried TO kill il with
his knife, but failed. The provisions
were now almost exhausted, and the
two men were glaring at each other
with the rage of maddened, ravening
hunger. Neither dared TO sleep, for
fear that the other would kill him.
Then the one who owned the dog at
last spoke, and proposed that, TO give
a chance for his life, they should sep
arate. He would take half Of the
handful of -four that was left and
start off to try TO get home; the 9TH
er should stay where he was and "
he tried To follow the first, he was
warned that he would be shot without
mercy. A like fate was 10 be the
portion of the wanderer If he was
driven to neturn 10 the hut. The ar
rangement was agreed 10 and the two
men separated, neither daring 20
turn his back while they were within
rifle shot Of each other. For two
days the one who went off toiled ON
with weary weakness through the
snow-drifts. Late ON the second af-
ternoon, as he looked back from a
high ridge, he saw in the far distance
a black speck against the snow, COM
ing along on his trail. His compan-
ion was dogging his footsteps. I'm
mediately he followed his own trail
back a little and lay in ambush. AZ
dusk his companion came stealthily
up, rifle in hand, peering cautiously
ahead, his drawn face showing the
starved, eager ferocity Of "A wild
beast, and the man he was hunting
shot him down exactly as If he had
been one. Leaving the body where
il fell, the wanderer continued his
journey, the dog staggering painfully
behind him. The next evening he
baked his last cake and divided IL all
with the dog. In the morning, with
his belt drawn still tighter round his
skeleton body, he once more set ont
with apparently only few hours OF
dull misery between him and death.
At noon he crossed the track Of a
huge timber-wolf; instantly the dog
gave tongue, and ,rallying its strength
ran along the trail. The man strug-
gled after. At last his strength gave
out and he sat down TO die but while
sitting still, slowly stiffening with the
cold, he heard the dog baying in the
woods. Shaking off his mortal numb
ness, he crawled towards the sound,
and found the wolf over the body of
the deer that he had just killed, and
keeping the dog from il. At the APP
proach of the new assailant the wolf
sullenly drew of, and the man and
dog tore the raw deer-desh with hide
GUS eagerness. IL made them very
sick for the next twenty-four hours
but, lying by the carcass for two or
three days, they recovered strength.