The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-12-22
SURROUNDED BY WOLVES.
A TERRIBLE NIGHT m THE NOUN
TAINS OF MONTANA.
A Bsiena Man Has Trighuoi Expert
6noe while Visiting Mine In the Thun-
der Mountains - How He Saved Ills
life.


renee He went out IN the Thunder mountains,
about sixty miles north Of Townsend. % visit
mine In which be Is interested The mine s.
located in a secluded gulch far up among the
hills In the midst OF one Of the widest sec
tons Of mountain land known in Montana.
He and companion, T. ~ james OF
Helena arrived at the mine about 9
O'Clock ono afternoon and Immediately
started out with their shoiruns to cct
some grouse for supper. tho ucighbor-
hood Astounding with those birds lloy
walked up the gulch a mile or two and
then separated, Mr. Jackson going over q
ridge 90 follow a bird that had been flushed
On returning to the top Of the ridge Mr..
James was out of sight. and Mr Jackson
halloaed 70 him. but got no answer. SIR.
james in the meanwhile had gone back %
camp, thinking his companion knew the
country and would follow him in. N0t De-
ing able % find James. Jackson thought TO
was about time 20 20 back, ald started .l
the direction Of the camp, as he suDpoed.
After walking about a mile be found that he
had missed BIZ reckoning and started 90 re-
trace bis steps. Il was now growing dark,
and al every step the country grow more
strange Finally he sat down O. rest, OPP
pressed with the CONSCIOUSNESS chat ho was
lost in the mountains. a feeling oi aroad,
Of he knew not what, overp0wer.l Dim for 20
moment, bnt this soon passed away, and De
said. "pshaw a night in the mountains in
summer is nothing can 60 % sleep under
a tree aud when morning comes can easily
find my way back % camp"
LOOKING ron a REFUGE
Just rs be had finished this solHoquy Il
long, deep howl arose in tie Wool. o. his
right and echoed With fearful strains through
the surrounding hills lie reused himself as
he recognized the cry OF tho gray timber
wolf. one ol tho nercest wild beasts that in-
fest our mountains The echo bad scarce
died away when another howl camo iu an-
swer until the forest on all sides rasouuied
with the dismal cry Then n row ferr pro-
scented itself The wolves were evidently ou
his trail Suppose they should attae. hn u
numbers His only means Of delon.e $50. "a
shotgun and few SHELLS Of bird shot, 81 tnf
should he dot He had not long forreiecflon,
for every moment the shades of night were
deepening aud the bowls Of wolves were
1 Increasing ard growing louder, showing that
the beasts were closing ia oa hi.u.
His first thought was 90 climb O tree and
bid defiance TO tine beasts Near the sop Of
the hill about IN tie center o. THE open
which be was in, be espied o lone pine tree
giant OF It's kind, whose expansive houghs
seemed 10 invite him TO their sweet embrace
Spurrod on by the blood curdng howls that
now formed a chorus OF dismal, Jam Cling
discordant walls, Mr jackson ran with
might aud main towards tie tree 10 was
race up bin. and be sank down 40 the root.
Of The giant pine In an exhausted state. He
soon recovered bis breath and ulld % climb
the tree Horror Of horrors Ihe nearest
branch was twenty feet above flo ground,
and tho base Of tie trunk was fully four leet
/ in diameter. lie could not scale los smooth
bark. AID after several Intellectual attempts
sank back upon the ground ia pair.
But the bowls again reused i.n from his
othargy. They were so loud now That BE
/ knew the wolves were near al hand Then
! the thought struck him 70 build q lre Dc
/ knew this would keep the bclss at bag. and
| accordingly se, about the tass. The ground
was strewn with dry branches aal cones GOAT
| had fallen from the tree, and soon boz bad
I heap gathered together. Bot now one OF
| these terrible lightning storms Chat have
given these heights the name Of Thunder
mountains arose in OIL its fury Peal after
peal Of electric artillery rolled ont from tae
angry clouds drowning fha bowls oi tHn
wolves and Illuminating tho weird ,elle b.
vivid flashes Of lightning that preceded the
thunder Then tie wind blew perfect bur
ricane Match after match he struck, hl.
the wind blew them out as fast as lighted
SAVED b. FTEU.
Finally, Hith some Org grass. q ting lauo
l q q
Fprang up. Famed by the wind i.s.cu ra-
veloped tho pile Of fagots and iIumIu.'. t4e
scene for yards around And 30 was Jus. lu
time. FOR ground tire circle ~ light cast iy
tho flames Mr. Jackson saw the gau.. and
/ hungry fc-ms Of at least IS dozen wolves
great, big gray beasts witt flashing eyes and
swapping flws Their bowling ceased for "a
moment but soon another peck arrived and
tool. 10 fighting with the lrt &c was dog
eat dog {ho baltic ragged for fcw uo
moIis, tho beasts swapping and snalmg at
each othC, jumping over their fellows. aal .
all tie time bowling like set of demons.
Mr. Jackson could see the iigl. as tle W0.FC /
eucircled within the circle of light, and hi-
blood turned cold as be Thought now be /
would fare before those terrible jaws. But I.
the battle soon ceased. and then all the /
woiye'. thirty OF forty all told, 3. san plo"l- /
ing about the fire light, eyiug Air. Jackson /
with their flaming orbs, which looked hsc /
balls Of Ere
Mr. Jackson busted himself watching tie /
wolves and feeding the fire, which until now /
had not lacked fuel. But O. horrorl At .
about o'c 0ck ia the morning, tLe darkest
part of the night, be saw that tlo fire was
growing low and that the emlaide.cl wolves +
were pressing closer and closer IN upon him
as the circles Of light grew smaller 10 bad
no more wood Every twig and cone within
reach had been heaped upon tie fire.
Now there was almost nothing but cmhcu
left, and hs could see the hungry wolves glar
ing 10 him not six yards away With wiu n
hand he stood TO fight and sell his Alo dearly
as soon as they attacked him. His heart beat
like "a siedge hammer as he watched t4e near
est wolf, expecting every moment that tho
huge gray monster would spring as him.
Just rs he thought TIE beast was about 70
make the leap column Of flame shot sud-
denly up into the air, sending It's sparks
twenty feet high and scattering tie bowling
wolves. Tley scampered back in evident
terror A pitch soaked root near the base Of
the tree had ignited from tho Ere, aud soon
the monster trunk, which was coated with
resin on the side. was IN c blaze. "Sagell
saved m thought jackson Is he noted tue we.-
come blaze aud saw the cowarlly wolves
shrink away from the Gre. Tho imlorIcd
man thanked Providence for tho timely in-
reference, aud felt now for the first time alb
solutely secure as be- stood in the light % the
blazing tree soon daylight appeared, the
wolves sluns back % their deus. and just as
the sky was redloning with tue dawn tle
last pack Of tAe foiled monsters disappeared
over the hill When the sun rose Nh Jack
son refreshed himself at a ue.gaboriag spring
and started for camp. lie walked I'll about
noon, when he met u parry sent out to search
FOR him, aud was safely conducted back t.
camp Helena (dont8naA Herald
GROWTH or TERRITORIES.
The population OF Wyoming is about ZOO
Tho population OK Utah is about 2i0o0)