Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1892-01-23
SHE most excit-
" ing adventure I
r,u l,nl =, ,,y

Hief Salu MAJ. thomas Hunter a
noted nimrod of this vicinity and the
first white settler in the county. He
spoke to a crowd, who beguiled the
hour the train was late by stories Of
adventure by land and sea, with man
and beast, and who had clamored for a
yarn from the doughty major.
"Well, | don't know but what a little
frolic ! had about thirty years ago with
Il pack of gray wolves wasn't the mar
rowest escape | ever made, and hence
the most exciting time to me. 1t was
out on the Little Colorado river, and
the hardest winter | ever experienced
in these parts. For miles around there
was not a sprig of vegetation to be
seen, and the cattle and wild beasts,
deer, rabbits, etc, died on every side.
II had a little hut close to the river
In partnership with a man called
Barker, Hiram Barker. We took turns
going to Laguna, then a small trading
post, for provisions, and it was on
Of these excursions that | had the ad-
venture referred to. meant to have
left Laguna early enough to reach
home before dark, but Just as | set out
! found that my mare had lost a shoe,
SO that delayed me a couple of hours,
and it was already getting toward sun
set when finally turned my face to
the river, | had with Inc a sack of
meal, some bacon and potatoes; quite
q load for the light cart to which Jen.
ME Black, my mare, was harnessed; so
| did not urge her, for | reflected be-
sides that the moor was full and there
was no need for hurry.
81 was jogging along when, without
any warning, | saw a single gray wolf
come trotting out of a little patch of
timber on one side of the road. He did
not turn his head to look at me, or
otherwise appear to notice me, so |
thought little of his being there until
after a mile or two, which he
travelled always ahead of me,
and at about the same distance, he
was joined by another and a little
further on by a third, / began to grow
uneasy, and recalled the story | had
heard some weeks before of a pack of
these wolves in the northern part of
the state killing and ~devouring a
teamster and his two horses. So !
whipped up and made what haste
| could, my uneasiness increasing
when another and another of the
wolves came gliding like gray shad-
ows from behind every little hummock
and patch of trees along the road. The
mare, too, began to grow fdgety, and
quickened her gait as If she feared the
gliding shapes just ahead.
"All at once the dozen or SO wolves
disappeared from the road and l was
congratulating myself that they were
gone, when l heard a faint yelp be-
hind me, and looking back saw 20 my
CONSERVATION that a pack forty or fifty
strong were scarcel, a hundred feet
down the ROAD, They were running
with ~. heads close to the ground
with no appearance of hurry, but as
though they felt pretty sure Of their
game. l tell you my heart leaped up
In my throat, for besides the actual
danger | knew to be in them. there
was something unearthly, something
horrible in these shadowy gray Great.
ures moving down upon me like a re-
lentless fate. / gave the word to
Jenny, who flew along the road until
the cart swayed from side to side, then
looked to my weapons, a rife, revolt
vers and bowie knife.
1.-THE sight Of these trusty friends
somewhat treasured me, and | began
10 hope that l would he able to reach
home without q scrap with the wolves.
when all at once one of the devils gave
short, yelping bark, evidently a sig
nal, and the pack rushed forward in
full cry after me. ! stood upon the
seat flashing the mare and
ing her with my voice, and away she
went like a fash through the gather
Ing twilight; but still the wolves
gained, and | saw that in the point of
speed ! had not u chance against them.
II was my first experience with the
animals. but l had read Of travellers
gaining time In such a fight by throw
Ing objects TO the wolves which their
curiosity impelIed them to stop TO ex-
anime. Acting on this hint / climbed
back into the cart and heaved v
board my sack Of meal, and | can tell
you It made my blood turn cold to seq
the indescribable ferocity with which
the animals fell upon the bag, tearing
u open and ~ pieces In less time than
It takes 70 tell IL But finding is CON.
teuts Of no benedt 10 them, the dis
appointed creaturcs rushed after me
with reserved apeed. but l wa ready
ses sassn vita the potatoeR snd 90
near ssere NJ wolves that the bag fell
eruahlng . OF them beneath It But
y e.ly staysd them . brief minute,
49, hoWpvsrs ] die sot waste q