Dodge City times., 1888-01-05
A RACE FOR LIFE.
HAr Exciting Adventure With Two
Savage Wolves.

A gentleman who spent the winter
of 1869 in Minnesota tells the follow
ing story of a race on skates-a race
for life. Perhaps we can not do bet
ter than to give it in about his owr
words:
Il had been invited by an uncle tC
spend the fall and winter at his home
in the Northern part of Minnesota My
uncle was engaged in numbering. and
partly from desire to see my friends.
and with view also of ascertaining 9
how l should like the country. and if
liked it and the prospect seemed fav.
~orab!e. to go into the business myself.
as my uncle had made me good of.
fer to do SO, l accepted the invitation.
4 had finished my college course
that year, and after the long. steady
pull at books. the life of freedom and
wild sports that pictured itself to me.
gave an additional impulse to my re.
solve to pass the winter with them.
The family consisted of my uncle,
aunt, three daughters. all grown up,
and son, bright. strong, active boy
of seventeen. Although 1 was six
years his senior, l found him as COM
panionable as one OF my own age.
An ardent lover of outdoor life and
sports. l could not have asked for a
better guide or comrade.
"He knew every tree and shrub in
the woods and its uses. the habits of
wild game, and the best way of cook
ing it. too. He could ride. hunt and
shoot in manner that filled me with
respectful admiration. and add to this
a frank, fearless. generous nature, a
sunny disposition that nothing seemed
10 cloud. and you have my cousin and
companion. Frank.
MANY was the long tramp we had
together, forgetting fatigue. cold and
hunger in the excitement of the chase
"There was one source of amuse-
ment to which we were both passion
ately misunderstanding; and the num-
her of lakes of various sizes i'm this
e State, frozen by the intense cold.
presented as fine a field to the lovers
of this pastime rs one could wish
We were perfectly at home on the ice,
and spent many hours gliding away
up some glittering lake. now turning
10 explore this or that little stream
that emptied into the larger. or ex
amining some track that entered the
woods.
"One moonlight nj ght-I we'll re-
member the date, the 23I Of Deccm-
-ber-we started just at the edge of
the evening to skate up the river.
which glided almost directly past our
edoor
"A full moon rode in the clear,
Scloudless sky, where stars twinkled
and sparkled like jewels. and every
frost-covered tree. and shrub twinkled
-and flashed back a greeting. The
broad river. cleaning far ahead. lay
like web of satin bound on either
side by the dark forests.
ut was very cold. but we were
warmly clad, and the brisk exercise
sent the blood tingling to our very
finger-ends. No sound met our ears
save the ringing of our skates, the
~crackle of the ice rs we swiftly sped
over it. or the crash of some over-bur-
'dened limb in the woods.
I'VE had skated on almost in silence
for over two miles. when l proposed
returning. Frank assen,ed. and we
had skated back short distance
when l happened to remember that
the girls had asked us to get them
some red berries that grew on
shrub in this vicinity, for Christmas
decorating.
Reminding Frank of this, we de-
'cided it was best 10 get them then, As
the morrow promised to be busy day,
sand the girls would want them early
that afternoon to commence their dec
Grating with. which they had prom
Used should be unusually fine with our
help.
I'VE rctraced our steps about a
sluarter of mile. and after little
search found the berries. Selecting
sthe finest branches as best we could
by the moonlight we soon had all we
could conveniently carry.
I'm turning. l accidentally struck
my foot against projecting branch,
and in trying to save myself from
la!l. sent my berries spinning across
the ice.
Frank burst into loud laugh at
my mishap and awkwardness, in
which Joined him, our voices ring.
ing out loud and clear, and echoing
back with startling distinctness.
was just STOPPING to pick up my fallen
branches, when long. low. tremu-
aous sound reached my ear. ending in
. prolonged how1.
"'Wolves! said Frank. at my side,
In an instant Quick. look at your
skate. the ono you struck; see il it is