St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-09-13
HIS RIDE FOR LIFE.
The Remarkable Feat of an Early
Wisconsin Pioneer.

The Remarkable Feat of an Early
Wisconsin Pioneer.
Yankee Blade.
In one of the widest portions of Wis
consin, when it was wild frontier
state. had settled the noted pioneer,
Hank Order, man whose wonderful
endurance of limb is in measure illus
trated by this sketch.
One dark and rainy night of the year
1856 the brave pioneer, whose reckless
nature had won for him the title of Wild
Order, and by which he was known far
and wide, found himself some fifteen
miles from home, and with the Kaka-
nook river, swollen and turbulent from
the recent rains, between himself and
his destination.
Wolves howled upon every hand, but
he paid no particular attention to them,
pressing steadily on i'll the drenching
rain.
AT length, however, he noticed that
the grim ScavengerS of the forest were
beginning to congregate in large num-
DerS into the trail behind him, and draw
ing uncomfortably near, bowling and
snarIlng at one another as they came.
This served to give him slight I'M
eaSlneSS of mind as he urged his horse
forward.
Steadily the horde of wet, shaggy
forms increased in number until it
seemed that thousand of them were
crowding along upon the pioneers track,
making the night hideouS with their
babel of snarling voices.
How swiftly in pursuit came the
writing mass of now thoroughly en-
ragged brutes, and though the pioneer
MI INlx 60 l.. 4
put forth every effort to keep out of the
way, and there in the darkness of the
Wisconsin wilderness ensued desper-
ate race for life and death.
The ground was fairly smooth, and
this aided the desperate man somewhat,
but he was compelled to use the spurs
mercileSsly to escape those clashing
jaws.
Like the very wind he sped along, his
only hope lying in reaching the river IN
advance of his fierce purSuerS, for once
across the turbulent current he would
be safe.
But fully five miles lay between him
and the river, and 1t would indeed be
miracle to reach it; but wholly un-
daunted, the reckless fellow sped on,
his teeth closed firmly and his eyes
cleaning with all the fire of his wild,
tAcltdDl6 nature.
Mile after mile was cast behind and
daylight was beginning to steal over
the land when the swift and swollen
Kakanook hove in sight.
The ground sloped toward it, and
down this descent flew pursued and
pursuers, with scarce six feet separating
them.
For over five miles had that desperate
race continued, and now, exhausted as
he was by his superhuman speed, Grider
performed feat that was simply mar
velOus and almost unparalleled.
The banks of the stream were high
and projecting, and scarcely eighty
yards below the river fell over mass
of jagged rocks that no one could hope
to pass over alive, while it would be i'm
possible to effect landing when once
in the turbulent current.
With horde of raging beasts close
behind him and the dangerous river be-
low, and fully twenty-five feet between
its banks, the brave pioneer was truly
in most desperate situation. But,
scarcely realizing his danger, in his
desperation and frenzy. he galloped
down the slope, and putting every effort
of his horses fast failing strength in one
mad leap, landed Squarely upon the
other bank of the river.
The wolves were unable to check
their head-long speed, and many of their
number went over the bank and were
swept away, while the exhausted steed
sank trembling on the ground.
Three hours later, however, he
reached his cabin in safety, and IN a
few days had fully recovered from the
effects of that terrible ride for life
about the most extraordinary one in the
entire record of the West.
Orders life was one of remarkable
adventures. and now man of superior
endurance, although nearly sixty years
of age, he resides at Moose Lake. Mimi,
where his life is still stirring and
eventful one.