Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-06-02
NO. SO.

one was reminded of q great drove of
sheep cantering over rough ground. Not
one OF them was still for a minute, and a
free fight was always in order. Our house
stood six or seven feet high, but they
leaped over it back and forth as easily as
they could have cleared log. At one
time several OF them engaged in fight
over our heads, and we had serious fears
Of the roof breaking under their weight.
When we finally opened fire honestly be-
lieve there were 2, 900 wolves within pistol
shot. Our house was the center of cir
Gle of leaping. bowling, fighting, growing,
yelping beasts, each one OF which seemed
bent on getting nearer. II was bright
moonlight night, and we did not waste a
shot. One could have shut his eyes and
been sure of killing or wounding at every
discharge. We limited our shots to twenty
five each, and fired slowly, so as not to
heat our guns. / believe we killed 100
wolves with the seventy-five shots. If
one was wounded enough to cause flow
of blood he was q goner. Tho unwounded
would tear him to pieces with even more
ferocity than they displayed toward the
dead. Soon after we had ceased firing
the great bulk of the wolves retired, to be
seen or heard no more during the night
A few who had probably failed to secure
share of the horrible feast remained in the
vicinity to growl over the bloody bones
and utter an occasional howl, and after
midnight we slept soundly. We were
afterward told by peasants living eight or
ten miles away that packs of wolves
passed their farms at dusk on the way to
the general rendezvous. Some of those
surrounding our house probably came
twelve or fifteen miles. The keeper Of the
hotel saw lfty or more pass his place, and
they were in such hurry and SO occupied
with the project on foot that they passed
within twenty feet Of o stray colt without
hating to attack it.
On the second day Of our stay we were
witnesses of dreadful tragedy. 1t was
cloudy day, with occasional snow
squalls, but no wolves came near US. At
about 2 O'Clock, while my companions
were lying down, opened slide to take
a look over the highway toward Toblosky.
For four miles the highway was over
plain, and one could see every moving OBJ
ject Then the road was lost in o pine
forest, which stretched along for couple
of miles. had scarcely pulled back the
slide when an object came in view In the
road at the edge of the forest, and in half
q minute 1 had made out horses. A
sledge was coming our way, the first
which had passed since we took up our
station. We had pair of field glasses in
the car, and had no sooner adjusted the
focus than / uttered q shout which
brought my companions to their feet.
There were three horses abreast, and
they were coming at dead run, while
on both sides Of the sledge could
make out fierce wolves jumping up.
The team was powerful one and
coming very fast, and in minute
more / made out that the sledge was
surrounded by great pack of wolves.
The driver was lashing the horses in a
frenzied way, while the smoke and flame
and faint reports proved that the occu-
pants of the sledge were using firearms to
defend themselves. We had two OF three
minutes In which to act. Each Of us had
the idea that the sledge would halt at our
car for protection, or that the people in 1t
would certainly leap out at that point.
We opened one of the doors, got down our
guns, and all were ready to leap cut when
n dreadful sound reached our ears. 1t
was the shrek Of horse. l say shrek,
for it was nothing more nor less-a shrek
OF terror and despair. The cause was
plain as we looked out. One Of the horses
had fallen when the sledge was hardly
twenty rods away, and the other two had
been dragged down with him. We could
not see them, however, for the wolves.
We just caught sight of two or three
human figures In furs, heard the reports
of pistols and shouts Of human voices, and
then the terrible din made by the wolves
drowned all other sounds.
We should have sprung out and gone
to the assistance of the beset travellers,
but before we could move foot our car
was surrounded by wolves, and a monster
got his head and shoulders into the door
way and hung there for few seconds
despite the kicks from our heavy boots.
We opened the slides and looked out, but
all was over then. The carcasses Of the
horses had been picked to the bone, the
harnesses eaten, and the robes from the
sledge were being torn apart as the wolves
raced around. We saw pieces OF bloody
clothing scattered about, and we knew
that the travellers had met a horrible
fate. We learned afterward that there
were four men In the sledge.
The pack of wolves, which seemed to
be much larger than any which had yet
gathered, hung about until we knocked
over at least fifty of them, and then drew
Off to return at midnight We kept our
position for nine days before the men
would come with the horses, and, al
though we preserved the scalps of only
three wolves, we estimated the number OF
killed at over 800 We intended TO put
in a week at another place, but with the
horses came that same government Off
cial, who gravely informed us that he
had been instructed by his superior officer
10 inform ms that orr wolf hunt must
end. We were rendering the highways
dangerous to travellers by attracting the
wolves!-New York Sun.