The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-12-11
SOME WOLF STORIES.
Captures Made In New Brunswick When
tho Bounty Was $40 skull.


the Bounty Was $40 skull.
Ibid you ever see WOLFF" asks
friend of mine. Yes, more times than
once. The first time was in this wise:
We were boys together Johnson and
myself, born in the same nelghb orhood,
strapped with the same piece or leather
in the red schoolhouse that topped the
hill, behind which was pond in which
we bathed and SWAN together: gathered
beachnuts into the same basket, shot
cartridges in the same woods, and last,
but not least, trapped wolves and other
game, honestly dividing the proceeds
between us.
1t was winter, the snow two feet
deep in our settlement, which was in
the province of New Brunswick.
Wolves were plenty, and johnson and
myself were doing good business
trapping them. On each was bounty
of ten dollars, and each skin was worth
three more. One Sunday morning, af-
ter Johnson had made himself ready for
church, he thought he would examine
one of his traps set in the edge of tho
woods near his fathers field. Putting
on his heavy boots, and without gun or
AK, he Strolled across the field. When
near the spot, the rafting of the chain
by which the trap was fastened quick
cned his pace, and behold, large wolf
was in the trap. Johnson saw at
glance he was slightly caught by the
end of his paw. Now" he soliloquized,
if | go back for the gun he may sue
coed in getting free before my RETURN"
for the brute was making frantic efforts
to free himself The bounty, ten dol
lars, skin, three dollars it would not
do to miss him. Being fine athlete,
Johnson made a bound for the wolf
catching him by the throat. In the
meantime the wolf had cleared him
self from the trap. Then came the tug
of-war in that two feet of snow.
The struggle was short and furious
johnson held his death grip, sometimes
on top and again underneath the brute,
both SO covered in snow it was difficult
to distinguish wolf from man. The
wolf at last was overcome, kicked and
cholled to death by his powerful antag
onist. johnson did not attend church
that day, for his Sunday clothes hung
in tatters; besides, there were some
ugly scratches from the sharp claws of
the now dead game. II never will try
that again, Mack" he said to me. Il
thought myself a match for almost any
wild animal of these woods, but this
fellow was a bigger job than reckoned
on" Johnson was but seventeen years
OF age and | was sixteen. That winter
was Hay first experience with wolves.
Five years later l was working in the
logging woods at place called the Mar
rows, head of Grand lake, in Maine
The second evening after our arrival
at camp the most of the crew had
turned into their berths, the cook only
was outside the camp door, when he
called: Boys, | hear a dog bowling
across the lake" | had seen wolf
track that afternoon, and knew the
kind of dog across the lake. We are
all outside the camp in few seconds.
The moon was full and bright and the
wind asleep-not a sound but the howl
of the wolf. Soon another and another
gave tongue, until the recruits mum.
bered dozen or more. Boys" | said,
''those devils are up to some mischief;
they are old acquaintance of mine
Listenw One would think pandemo-
Mum had broken loose. They had dis
covered deer at our water hole. Over
they came. the hills echoing and re-
echoing their cries, making the night
nideous with howlin9s. The startled
deer rushed by our camp, with wolves
in close pursuit. 1t was an unequal
match. The poor animal found they
were closing with him, and ran back to
the lake, the merciless pack at his heels.
Again he made for the woods, and in a
clump of thick cedars they took his life.
There was but one gun in our crew, and
that was not loaded. We did not enter
into the scuffie. Not one of the men
but myself had ever heard or seen
wolf before; and none of us had desire
for nearer acquaintance. The next
morning we visited the spot After
killing their game they had dragged it
ont on the ice; and so com pletely dcmol-
ished was the carcass that scarcely
veStige remained Forest and Stream.