Griggs courier., 1888-10-19

When last winter, paid my third visit
to the Holy Russian Empire, was enabled
In accordance with nay long entertained and
ardent desire, to get rid, for a few days, of
business which chained me to either Peters
burg or Moscow, and thoroughly Indulge my
passion for the chase. The days, or what is
more exact, the nights of pleasurable sport
lenjoyed owe chiefly to my friend, Alex
ander p, whose possessions, situated at the
very foot of the Waldai Mountains which,
with their profusely wooded slopes and
Deep ravine-like valleys, their marshy
plains, etc, are the haunts of wild animals
of every kind. In these mountains are to
be killed every species OF game to be found
in European Russia, from the wolf and bear
to the rebtchik akind of partridge, but with
the game taste more pronounced. Notwith-
standing the SOLDERING effect of wolf hunt
three years ago hard on the Russo Polish
frontier the real winter wolf hunting still
had an irresistible charm for me.
AS Il rule the wolf is brought to bay in
three different ways. When there is no
snow the game is driven to certain places
and there killed by the hunters. This sport
is comparatively tame and never had more
interest for me than hare hunting in Ger
many. The landlord fixes cne or several
hunting days, invites a great number of
hunters. and the peasants. who, by /. sur
vival OF serfdom, are compelled to Join in a
wolf hunt at any time and without remun-
GRAFTON. assemble in families, men. women
and children. The part of the forest where
wolves have been seen is surrounded. n
chain of shooters is formed and then the
signal for driving is given. From 100 TO 15O
peasants enter the woods and raise an in
fcrnal noise by clapping pieces of fiat wood
together, striking the trees and beating a
certain kind of d drum. The wolf likes the
odds with him, not against him, and as he
has no stomach for this clatter, sneals out
of the woods and dashes through the cor
don of hunters, whotry their craftsmanship
on him. Those who believe that the wolf at
tacks Il man under such circumstances NAV
disabuse themselves. The frightened ami
NAL runs away where it can, and he who
would hit the rascal as he dashes through
the brush must be a quick and sure shot
But, as said before, this kind of sport has
no charm for me. What a safe kind of
hunting it is. is best Illustrated by The fact
that one day three ladies of our hosts
household accompanied us, and we killed
that day no less than twenty wolves. have
never heard that at one of these hunts q
wolf ever attacked a human being
The second way of hunting the wolf is to
lie in ambush, to decoy the wolf by means
of living or dead bait, and then send ball
into him from your hiding place. But this,
too, is not very exciting. Many nights have
thus sat in the bitterest cold to return
home finally without having fired a single
shot But the third way furnishes the kind
OF sport that puts heavier strain on your
sxaerves. This is hunting in sled. If one
sees Russian winter scene illustrated with
sled flying swiftly over the snow-covered
space he is instantly reminded of wolves.
So, recently, a child at an exposition of
pictures where everybody admired Rus
sian winter landscape with a 'Troika" fly
ing over the snow is said to have remarked
to its mother: But, mamma, this Is not
finished; where are the wolves!"
Apparently sled has more attractive
power for a wolf than the bait offered him
in the wood. 1t almost seems that the ogre
eupposes the occupants of sled will prove
especially tickling to the palate On GER
tain moonlit night of January we were as
sembled around the vaporing samovar (the
Russian teakettle) after having had a very
substantial supper. At intervals we drank
the aromatic Caravan-tea, or slipped AT
chishtchina "a popular Russian cordiaD,
when, at about 1890, Ivan. my friends
huntsman. announced that the sled was
to the continuous snowfall of the preceding
days, which formed q snow and ice cover
over foot in thickness, great many hun
cry wolves had made their appearance in
the neighborhood. This was my first ex-
perlence OF wolf hunting in sled, and I
confess that my heart beat fast when pct-
ured to myself host Of famished wolves,
bfoodthirstv assailants which we could keep
back only by quick and deadly discharges
while our sled, drawn by horses mad with
fright, was flying over the snow like a
phantom.
Quickly we EXCHANGED our house-dresses
for furred coats and boots, examined for the
last time ourshot-guns and heavy revolvers,
the sharp hunting knives fastened to our
belts, and soon we were out in the moonlit
night While was accustomed to see an
elegant sled of st. Petersburg make await
ing US under the porch Of the manor, the
long-bearded driver, weighing seven pud
(about $50 pounds), his head covered with
the orthodox three-cornered Chapka OF
violet velvet, now, on the contrary, beheld
miserable rustic aled woP;o oven than 3