The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-13
4 WILD RIDE 0N SNOTSHoES.
Down n Mountain SIde Pursued by . Pack
OF Hungry Wolves.
From The Chicago Inter. Ocean.

STEAMBOAT srnINGs, Gel; June los;I1rerhaps
! have ever travelled on snowshoes. The Nor
weGian snowshoes.. or skees are the oues
mostly used here. They are generally made
unlike q sleigh runner. They are not lifted
| from the ground when In motion. but slide
along on the crust and me experhe s
| the shoe set ahead, moves along at Il much
faster rate than the pedestrian. Going down
speed that ono has to use a brake-that IL.
| "rtde the pole" which Is generally a stick some
eight feet long. which s held in front, in the
snow, thus lesseninG the speed.
On the 18th OF February last started from
| my cabin at the foot OF Storm Mountain to
make trip to the tor to see Il the fur, bearing
animals were still out 1t is only about ten
| easily make there and back IN daS. Packing
slight lunch. tied it to my belt and started.
"tacking." as it is impossibie to trave Straight
up steep incline on snowshoes. Noon came
and sat down in the shelter Of rock to eat
reached tho top, but that did not alarm me, for
l have como fIom the top Of Storm Mountain
to my cabin in twelve minutes.
When l had reached the top and looked 1t
over was surprised TO find the sun Just going
down. Darkness falls very sudden in this
await the rising OF the moon. which l knew
would rise soon after dark. AS It would be
dangerous snowshoelng down tho mountain
trail and would lie liable 10 rush heaiIonG
Darkness ieil as have never seen it before.
Everything was obli,erated. ! sat on my. snow
the OF HE sn en @s Wn oT ne
sive All around me could SEQ the dim out
lines OF the snow-capped peak-. dark and SOM
bre, rearing their heads toward the sky; l
must have fallen asleep. but | awOke with a
start at the cry o. panther coming from
left This, was followed by the cry OF timber
wolf. which was answered by another and an
other. until the hills resoInIed with their
irI az
tree to tree all around me. Then the awful
thought burst upon me that was surrounded
by wolves. which at THIS season otthe year are
III could keep them at bay until the moon
from them. As one came close s, die" dd VERY very
foolish thing. ,Iniling ny revolver, shot him
wound in stream He was bounced uDon in
a second and torn to pieces by his com
yepinG pack charged upon me; 1t was grow,
Ing light in the east. where the moon would
% sae s but w n n to- not aHF us So s1y
ping my feet in the !ca,hers Of my snow
shoes | started down the sleen INCLINE rs il
the darkness rushed at headIoRG rnte. A
gaunt brute cronching near a tree slranG at
rate Of speed and passed harmlessly through
the air ten feet behind me. On came the pack.
i soon began TO ride my role and !slacken NY
brink ' Prssrice and had turn " no 70
shoes tive I've feet long. stopped at he turn
TO await the rising OF the, moon. wnlch soon
i beloved that tho wolves had left to hunt
some slower game but that delnston soon SUI;
fored rude shock Soon the yelps commenced
with redoubled fury as they scented mo, and
came closer aud closer. got on my shoes and
waited. nothing loath to showing them again
came, and a they rot close started out once
more, but was horrIlled to find that at this
shoes to run themselves. hnd forgotten until
this time about this PLACE, There was q bon"h
about FIVE hundred yards long, and from there
mile descended very nearly ~ an angle OF 40
degrees: then he angle was not quite so much.
a string TO my cabin. seven miles below.
On came the howlinG pack. and showing it
was lie or death to got t. the stoep decline be-
fore my pursners, bent every energy TO reach
II. Every time | showed a foot ahead would
give pu-n with my POLE sending myself along
turn could hear their y"p~ right behind mo.
and could even hear their heavy breathing
advance OF tho rest reached me, and with q
fearful snarl sprang at my head | stopped
a. ne %sf me b
! plunged down viii speed tlnt no steam
could give. Toes lGw, ike spectres; looking
to destruc,un. On. on wont, dinghy mole for
dear life, trying yainly to check my speed, Ny
moo snanj Cd Ike piPpG,st-m nn!G1 ine heavy
RDccd 9he world swan bcfo my eyes trro3
rOcoi hncH from my rour Q with n horrible
niGhtlualo werdnoss. don't exactly, r"mcm-
her what tho next sensation was. n tried to
Icep ont from under the brim ~ my ha'. and
1t was all u blur trees, rocks. landscapes were
all blended together in an undistinguishable !
mass. 1t seemed an age. tut It was In fact but
q very few mmoments, until my speed began to
decrease The momentum WIS spec ling me
out onto tho mesa " Indian for valley / |
saw my cabin close hy, but, having no nole I
could not STOP so ! dlsengagel my feet from
my snowshuos and rolled oil into a drift. and
lei the shoes 20 on ! found them next day
nearly "A milo from there.
ii should live thousand years ! woull
never 'orget that wild might ride TOR the inde-
Ecribable feeling OF excitement ear and pleas
uie as plunged, mally down the narrow path
from old Storm Mountain.