Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-02-22

ups uuoNo Jul huty Wu'IllnB tuo SHOW III
such thick clouds as nearly to smother
two rods from the hut, for fear of mover
finding our way back through the blind
ing drift.
The cold was almost unbeatable. With
all our efforts, wo could scarcely keep
from freezing. Fortunately, we had pre-
pared supply OF wood only few yards
from the door, and by turns we went
through the drifts, dug out an nrmful,
and guided by the others voice. crawled
bnck to the hut. with hair and clothes
and eyes pelted full'of snow. Even With
all the fire we could keep, was Obliged
to wrap myself in ono of tho buffalo
robes, and crouch in a corner near tho
stove.
Lars, true son of tho North, and nc
customcd to fierce billiards., kept bnsy
mending our clothes, traps and ''skccs,"
or snow skates, such rs are used in his
snow bound native country. and whstlcd
mcrrily, while the wind sent little cddics
of snow whirling through the chinks
into his yellow hair.
The fourth morning dawned bright
and clear. The weather had moderated,
but the snow lay four feet deep over the
whole country. Our little hut was nearly
buried. and so hard were the drifts
packed that L, who was about forty
pounds lighter in weight than Lars,
could run over them anywhere. Tho
Norwegian would now and then slump
through them.
But the cold weather had given us trc-
mcndous appetites, and our diet had
been very tame. We knew that animals
could not have moved about much dur
inn In l<., - I,
have become fam shed. Accordingly, VIC
thought that now game of all sorts would
be astir.
After an carly breakfast we started out
on our skccs, which were made of ash,
five or six feet long, very narrow, thin
and smooth ms gnss. They wero bound
to the foot by straps, and with them one
accustomed to their use can skim over
the snow with great swiftness. Although
| was thoroughly Mt home on ice skates,
it was some time, with Iars's teaching,
before | could keep pace with him.
After getting little away back from
the lake. the country was orcn, with the
exception of strips of timber, bordering
the streams. Upon tho banks of two of
these, VIC decided to set some Of the
trnps, which had been taking nothing
about the lake for several days.
In the afternoon | started n doc, in n
broad strip OF timber, near creek AS
it bounded oil over The snow fired, bvt
missed. Scarcely had the report been
heard when my companions rice cracked,
and mt the same moment heard him cry
out sharply, rs If in distress.
Much alarmed, l FASTENED in the di-
rcction of the sounds. and found that n
most distressing accident had happened.
Tho doe had run toward Lars, who,
while Swimming along to get nearer
and more effective shot, had broken
through the snow which had driftcd
over some small shrubs. His rifle was
discharged as he fell forward, aud the
bullet had entered his left ankle, making
q terrible wound.
Lars Bjork was man of much cour-
age and rs stoical rs an Indian, but the
pain was so great that he swooned dead
away. l, on my part, was 50 overcome,
that for moment l lost my head on
tircly and could do nothing. But Lars
soon recovered consciousness and in
structcd me how to bandage the limb
and stop the flow Of blood.
How to get him 10 camp was the next
question. In this matter, too, Iars's
brain was more fertile than mine Some
sort OF hand-sled, he declared, must be
improvised, and l must go to camp,
which was about three miles distant, af.
ter the axe, anger and ropes.
l disliked to leave him alone, in his.
distress, but there was no other way SO,
after providing him with bed of boughs,
l started oil, and as had now become
expert in the use of those wonderful
skees, in less than an hour I had made
the trip and was back again.
Obeying Lars's direction, I now cut
two birch saplings. having natural crooks,
for runners, aud smoothod them off with
the axe. Then bored holes and put in
cross-b1rs. Upon these | laid bourhs
and ono of the robes which had brought
from camp. The sled was now ready,
and my wounded companion managed to
crawl upon it.
The load was not very heavy after get
ting under way over the smooth, hard
snow. We went on at good pace and
had accomplished half mile from the
place where the accident occurred, when
chancing to look back, saw four or i've
animals about the spot, scrambling and
apparently fighting with each other.
mentioned it to Lars. With an effort he
turned to look back.
They're wolves" lie said. sect to
camp rs fast rs you can!"
The brutes had sncaked from some
covert in the timber as soon us we had
started, and were licking the blood off
the snow. They might even have been
in pursuit of the doe, the cause Of our
misfortune.
As We had frequently seen thom while
outt&Bpping, did not at first feel much
aiaed. But soon n series of prolonged
ltSS398 from behiud warned us that, mad.
desvd by extreme hunger and the taste
OF blood they were in pursuit, and that
others were Joining in the chase, coming
out from the timber rs we hurried along.
/ glanced at Lars. His face was very
! white, put he grasped his rifle firmly.
/ now fully realized our peril and put
forth my utmost efforts.
The country was half-open here. I
heard that it is the habit of wolves.
when in large numbers, to try to surround
their prey. was certain that was what
they meant to do if they could come up
with US. Moreover, soon found. that
they were gaining, in sDite of NV ever