Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-06-02
WOLVES In RUSSIA.

Urkovsky, In Russia-thirty miles apart
there was, in 1868, only one house
Thatwas half way hotel The rest Of the
road was given up to plain and forest, and
for five years previous to 1858 this had
been one Of the most dangerous places in
all Russia. Travellers waited at either
village until band of from ten to twenty
had collected, and in midwinter soldiers
had to accompany all travellers. A men,
Der Of the French legation told me that,
in making this journey once, the sledges
were followed and surrounded by drove
of wolves, estimated to number 1900.
No attack was made, there being large
escort of soldiers.
The first time passed over the road
was in summer, and not wolf appeared
In sight. At one point, where the road
traversed plain for eight miles, saw,
without leaving the beaten track, the
bones or at least fifty horses and OF
seventy five persons. While l was living
at Urkovsky that summer the Russian
government offered a bounty Of fourteen
cents for the scalp of every wolf killed In
that district. There was another Ameri-
can and an Englishman in the village, and
when the proclamation came out we de-
termined on q wolf hunt We called in
carpenter and gave him plans Of house
on runners. 1t was as large as one of the
photograph cars drawn from town to
town in the United States, and provided
with three hunks, q stove and other con-
veniences. There were portfolios in the
sides and floor, besides three or four slid
ing doors, and when the house was done
we found plenty of room for three men
and coal and provisions for O fortnight.
There was great curiosity in the town as
to what sort of q move we had In view,
and the house had been scarcely finished
when a government official made us a call
and demanded the fullest information.
When we told him that we proposed to
draw the car out upon the plain and use
it as cover and protection while we shot
wolves his gravity increased, and he Of
ficialy notified us not to move it foot I'M
til he had communicated with his supe-
riors. The government had offered
bounty for the destruction of wolves, but
we must get permission to destroy themi
However, we had lots of time ahead,
and while waiting the appearance of the
official the car was finished and stocked.
1t was as roomy as the ordinary freight
car, and we put in plenty of fuel, pro-
visions and ammunition. We took only
shotguns and revolvers with us. 1t was
second call. He was still very dignified
and very grave He had correspondent
with the police inspector Of the district,
and that official had correspondent with q
greater man, and perhaps the case went
to st. Petersburg. 1t had, however, been
decided that we could move our car, pro-
viding we held ourselves responsible for
all damages to the cZar's subjects. We
did not move until the first week in
January. 1t was a very severe winter,
with wolves more numerous than for
years past, and we had trouble to get
teams to draw our house to the plains
All through December the road filled up
as often us opened, but early in January
we got away, having four horses to draw
the house. We were to be left on the
center Of the plain for a week, when the
horses were to come back for new move.
AS we got out of town early in the
morning we reached the spot selected long
before noon. The car was hauled off to
the side Of the road at favorable place,
and the men with the horses waited no
longer than to unhitch them before start
ing on the return journey. While we had
not seen q wolf on the trip out, several
sledges had been pursued the week before
in broad daylight, and the two men and
four horses were certainly temptation
for the brutes to gather. In making
ready we had had the advice of two or
three old wolf hunters, and had adopted
some of their suggestions We had
brought along some raw meat for bait, as
also gallon of beef's blood. AS soon as
we settled down we thawed this blood,
and then went out in three different direc-
tons and sprinkled 1t on the hard, white
crust. On our way back to the car we
left trail and flung out piece of meat
at intervals. We had not yet reached the
car when we heard the howl of O wolf,
and five minutes later we could see q
dozen Of them scampering about. 1t was
an hour, however, before one came within
reach of our guns. Then the sun, which
had been brightly shining all the forenoon,
was hidden by clouds, and q snow squall
came up to still further darken the
heavens.
The bowling of wolves could now be
heard in every direction, and pretty soon
they followed the trails of blood In until
we all got shot, and each tumbled a
wolf over From the instant they fell to
the time their bones were clean picked by
their companions was not over forty sec
onds. 1t was something marvellous to
watch the proceeding. The mouthful
apiece whetted their appetites and stimu-
lated their ferocity, and the whole pack
made n rush at the car. The beasts no
doubt took it for travellers sledge, and
the attack was surprising in its fierceness.
The number of wolves was not less than
500, and for the first five minutes we
were seriously alarmed. They were over,
under, and around us, bowling, barking,
snarling, growing, and fighting in way
10 nriua nhiIIc bod
been securely fastened to the broad, heavy
runners, they would have upset it in their
rushes. The exterior had been sheathed
with sheet iron. We had objected
to this expense, but had finally accepted
the advice of one OF the wolf hunters.
We now realized the wisdom of this pre-
caution. But for the sheathing the
wolves would have eaten their way into
the car in dozen places.
Such fierce and unexpected attack
ratified us for q few minutes, but after
bit we began firing buckshot into the pack
as fast as we could load and pull trigger
Then it was pandemonium let loose. The
how!s, yells, yelps, growls and cries re-
doubled, because every victim Of our guns
was being devoured by his companions.
We fired thirty-four charges of buckshot
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number of wolves, and then the pack
began to scatter, and ten minutes later
not living wolf was in sight. 1t was
horrible looking sight around us. Every
wolf but one had been devoured. Tufts
of fur and bloody bones were scattered
over the snow for 100 feet in every direc-
ton, and there was not a foot Of snow
without its blood stain. There was a
wounded wolf who had escaped the fangs
of the pack, probably because their appe-
tites were satisfied for the time being.
Hs had been shot through the hips and
could no longer use his hind legs. He
was very large fellow, and we soon had
reason to believe that he was still danger
Gus. The beast was about fifty steps
away when we descended from the car,
and the minute he caught sight Of Us a
great Transformation took place. All the
fur along his spine stood up, his eyes
blazed like fire, and he uttered such fierce
growls that the three of us raised our
guns The brute could drag himself over