Wichita eagle., 1888-09-09
THE WOLVES.

closely; where, between their toll trunks and
In thear black foliage CLEANED a few crimson
spiashes of fire IS the sun sank below the
horizon; where the snow lay deep and un-
spotted, 50 20 by the multitudinous prints Of
their own restless fees-there, on the out
skirts of the forest. at the wane Of day, the
wolves were gathering themselves together.
Hungry they were and eager for work to be-
gin. There was no play among them, no
eaying over ono anothcr's backs, or wrest-
ling, or growing pretenses at fighting. They
were On business-the first business of life; to
Keep life; and 20 keep life, if you happen to
be wolf, means hard work and plenty Of it,
with but little time to spare on the amenities
Df existence.
And now their old gray leaders-warriors
who have survived many scene of death
and disaster to man and wolf-leap out to
gether from the woods upon the darkening
plain. They raise their noses. sniff the
VIVID end shake themselves One yawns and
stretches his paws, while puff of hot breath
rises from his red tongue, and, as he shuts
his narrow jaws with a snap, sharp canine
teeth, white IS the SNOW itself, glitter In the
1ush
Then begins, that long, slouching. tireless
trot. that Internal gallop that beats horse and
man and all things living for combined speed
and endurance. The pack covers nearly five
ind twenty square yards Of snow, and settles
into stride, each beast moving and turning
IN unison with the rest, as q fight of birds
rnysteriously wheels in air They are Nor
way wolves these, and experience has long
Eirce taught them what work viii be neces-
ssry before supper and return to their for
est fastnesses.
Note what happens almost ct the start
One 1.-THE brute suddenly slips and strains
his leg. Fcarfuily he glances at his conlpan-
ions on the right and left, but as yet they
know not OF the accident. All too soon,
however, the pace tells upon the injured ami
NAL Nature asserts herself In the great
gray wolf, his eyes glow like red hot enlbers,
his sinewy leg gives under him, he hovls his
farewell to dear life, and his place in tho
ranks know him no more. But the MANNED
creatures sufferings are over almost in
stantly, for the fttest alone survive In a
pack of wolves a ravenous fighting mass
of fur and legs and teeth closes in upon him,
and he is gone, leaving no monument more
enduring than drops OF his own hot blood,
which have fallen and melted for themselves
deep holes in the trampied Stow
Then forward they sweep, the canDibals,
on the best possible terms with one another,
and feeling as you would feel after anchovy,
or en- olive, or some such preliminary to
more important gastronomic efforts.
But now, ahead, there stands L solitary
tree, naked save where, on its topmost
branches, the dark pine needles mingle n one
shapeless clump, Or where, lower down,
dead cones still cling 10 the parent bow. In
the rough bark at its foot are fiecks of wool;
but the sheep which rub themselves there in
the summer are far away just now.
Something of greater interest meets the
wolves here Along the snow at the base Of
this tree, and running ut right angles to the
course they have, till now, been taking, OK
tend two parallel lines, cut BY the irons Of
a sledge Ono vehicle alone has passed since
the snow last fell, but it appears to have
gone by quite recently, for the scent is
strong and tho pack take it up without
moments halt. Now supper becomes u pro-
liability, for where there is sledge there
is a horse, perhaps two; where there is a
bledge there ID a man, possibly more than
one.
Have you ever heard the howhng Of
woivesi
| have, seated in comfortable place Of
entertainment, with nay mind at ease and
certain knowledge that many iron bars sep
GRATED me from the invisible howlers. Even
under those circumstances the sound was one
that made me turn cold and wonder how ma
ture had produced anything so bideous. 1t
is like nothing but itself; you cannot COM
pare or contrast it with sny othor cry Of
living things; gale OF wind in the rigging
of big ship at sea is the nearest approach to
it know. Thin, hollow walls of sound grow
and swell and burst into one demoniac howl
that embodieS in its volume every conceiv
nble note Of despair and eternal torture
Then the cyescendo dies, sometimes as though
suddenly strargled, more often in long drawn
shrieks tnat fade upon the ear. There is
music in their cadencss st times; those that
] heard were fairly in tIne-hut such a tune,
such a droring, fiendish, whirling blast of
melody it was Ii the neither world has its
own uruSic, that music should be the howl OF
hungry wolves-the frantic chorus whose
rulmination is death to fying singers, or fee
Ing audiences, or both.
So much for the wolves l know; 50 much
for wolves whose hearts are broken and
whose sides have echesi often enough under
the heavy whip o. their master. So much
for tame wolves who 10 clumsy tricks and
have learned the beauty Of obedience, for
getting, at the same time, the wstchword Of
Al wolves, that union is strength Return
we to my pack, which is moving hike one big
machine, and the cornponent parts of which
ERE together giving torcne
The snow, for them, Is IN perfect order; but
somebody ahead NAV perchance find bis
horses crushing through the thin frozen sur
fsce at every stride The darkness suits the
hunters well, but somebody ahead may be
praying for that moonlight which at present
Dnly shows silver fringes On black cloud.
To them their wolf music Is the dinner
gong; but somebody ahead may hear nothing
more beautiful than his own passing bell in
the distant ululations, rising and falling and
peuliag over the snow.
Fortunately, thought and a pen travel
uuicker than even gray wolves; therefore
though not knowing with certainty whether
Ct can catch us again before the end Of the
story-we viii leave the racing pack and
draw level with the sledge
Here it is, sure enough, blowing through
the snow and spinning out those two parallel
lines ss it goes The stout horses are gal
ioping steadily, and the solitary man sitting
hehind them does 10. Uss whip or word
nt present. Ee must be some miles nearer
home ere the last struggle begins, and be not
oliy knows the road well, but can also guess
with tolerable accuracy at the distance which
still lends enchantment TO the wolf music IL
the darkness behind him Physically Rello
SvastSen is typical NorweSian-strong
and in tie prime of life. lie has
been In passing peril from the wolves
before today, the rug now wrapped
eb0pt. hi1p-. ons cornsr Of which 12ps