Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-10-11
WILD ANIMALS FIGHT
EIks WITHSTAND AN ONSLAUGHT
OF FAMIsHlNG WOLVES.

. s..,ier.s Novel and Narrow Escape.
wolves Forget AN Easy Frey In '"'
p.n,,se of Larger Foes-A Sight That
Nav Rarely Be Witnessed
II was i'm 1856. the coolest winter lever
remember. was settled on claim no.
great way from the mouth OF the crssA,
sos-e.ber with a man named Nelson III
,,s,,sr tnevv before what hardship was
1onna ont that winter. The nearest point
where we could obtain supplies was oma-
ba. seyvpty-six miles away, and the sho"
was often so deep that it was imposioie 10
make the trip. We would have starseu IL
Il hal not been for the game. That was SO
abundant that we could have had deer or
elk or buffalo every neal. But we got
mighty tired of that sort OF fare, ana one
dar declared | had to have some Dreau'
and that was going MIDTOWN after saeh
~ eonr Nelson predicted a blizzard
nrettv soon and tried to keep me from go
inc but 7 did not think tho storm would
catch me before | could return, so oil set.
we'll 7 got the flour, and by putting on all
the sneed nv horse, a wiry Indian pony,
was capable of had got within dozen
miles OF home when it began to get coioer-
Il came with rush and IN twenty MIN
utes il was freezing. Whewl cold WASH
the name for it. whipped up the pony,
but had no need to urge him as he knew
as well as the danger.
We nassed little clump Of trees, and as
we did so saw gray something dart out
into the road and run about twentytyards
ahead of us. 1t was a wolf, great white
chap. that kept looking back at us with
bIoodsbot ewes. Presently another joined
him. then a third and a fourth, until from
every bummock the swiftly moving AMI
mails came fiocking. There must have
been hundred of them, and thrill OF
horror shot through me as | saw their
steady plotting of us through the gather.
ing twilight. All the grewsome stories
had ever heard of travellers being overtaken
and killed by these animals came to me.
had. it was true, my rifle and revolvers,
but could not hope to kill half the pack
and there was not a tree, as well knew.
within six miles. AS thought this out
one of the wolves sprang at the pony's
throat. He shook it off with spring for.
ward, but another leaped up instead.
brought my whip down on the creature
! back and IL Tell WIN yeip.
| Lashing right and left | cleared short
space ahead for brief moment, when the
| pony shot on, strainiDg every nerve. But
the pack was on us once more, and gigan
tic fellow, hurting himself straight at thu
pony's throat, fastened its faDgs in thu
flesh, dragging the poor animal down Oh
its knees. | leaned forward and placed m!
pistol close to the VOLTS ear and fired. L
| fell over dead, but saw that the pony wa
bleeding to death with great hole in it
neck, from which the blood was pouring /,
a stream. At the sight the wolves seemed
to go mad and fell upon the pony witt
fury.
Taking advantage of the moment
leaned from the saddle and ran for it
knowing that as soon as they finished tn
pony would share its fate. What hopet
to do cannot tell, but the instinct wa
to run, and | did. In less time than
takes to tell it heard them coming an,
casting my eyes desparingly about / say
only the cleaning snow, looking all tn
whittier and more cruel for the moonligh
pouring from the full moon just rising.
But as | gave myself up for lost hear
a rush of feet from the opposite directio
from that the wolves were coming, an
the next moment band of elks swept int
sight. Magnificent fellows they were, too
eight males and three does, with a coupl
of calves. They had evidently been stan
peded by something, and swept past m
without seeing me, but stopped short O
catching sight of the wolves.
The does turned back and started to ga
lop away in the direction from which the
had come, but one of the bucks gave sol
of cry and they stopped short and huddle
together, with the fawns between then
while the bucks surrounded them. Fac
lowered his horns and awaited the attac
of the wolves, which, seeing the Gordon c
bristling bone, paused disconnected for
moment, but it was only till the foremos
gaunt old wolf, gave howl and thre7
himself upon the lowered antlers. He wa
flung fully ten feet, with broken bacl
but his fate did not deter the others. The
threw themselves upon the elks only to b
pierced by the prongs that tore them crr
ely 1t was not until full twenty had i
this way been rxaimed and killed that the
seemed to realize the hopelessness of tn
: thing. That they desisted at all was
matter of surprise to me, for, as ever
plainsman will tell you, these animals al
simply fearless and rs logged as mule.
l had watched this battle from hilloc
on which had seated myself. Why didn
| rum Where would have run tor B,
sides, the cold was numbing, and watche
the fight with drowsy interest, as if
had nothing to do with me at all. full
expected that when the wolves found this
they were not to have the elks they woul
try me, but they had evidently forgotte
= all about me and only sat around for
, while eying the horn barrier wistfully. 4
if hoping that the elks would tire out, bu
finding that the formidable antlers r,
manned sullenly presented to them. the
finally trotted off. The elks waited fc
some minutes longer and then breakin
rank moved off in the opposite directio,
was by this time so nearly frozen that
/ was all | could do to reach one of til
$ wolves and tear it open and creep insid,
: Was he big enough? Why, man, the viii,
! wolf is as big as calf a year old. The
Q left these parts some time ago, but Will
! they were here they were certainly feare
, by man and brute.
Well, staid in that ones carcass mt
$ my blood got to circulating again the
4 crawled ont and managed to set fire I
, some trash, sticks and the like that founf
S Here | staid till day, when my partner
: Nelson, found me, He had heard tn
t wolves the night before, and feared Nigh
S fall in with them, though he hardly e.
pected me home so soon. We found onl
the bare bones of my poor pony, and
D knew had such cause to thank the elk
for their timely service that it was YEA,
before could bring myself to shoot one ,
the beautiful and intelligent creatures.
Thought for long time that | had Wi
hessed something extraordinary, but a
Old frontiersman informed me that If wa