The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-07-30
ing the Smoky river, in wester

ing the Smoky river, in western Kan
sas.
In those early times buffalo, ante
lope and the large prairie wolf en-
ioyed unchecked freedom, where the
plow of the farmer has made productive
wheat and corn fields.
The cabin was occupied by Trapper
Wheeler and his son Ed, robust,
strapping youth of eighteen, who had
| left their home in Michigan to enjoy
the sport of hunting and trapping in
the new country, which was just then
beginning to settle up.
Wheeler and his boy had stopped
few days at one Of the settlements in
The eastern part of the territory, but
the political agitation of the times was
too hot for them there. Both father and
son cared far more, then, for hunting,
fishing and trapping than for politics,
SO they went clear beyond sight and
hearing of the settlements and their
fierce contentious.
The Indians did not offer to molest
them, and. here, buried from all civili-
zation, they pursued their favorite
sport to their hearts content.
They never complained for the COM
forts they had given up, for the streams
and prairies yielded them food in abun-
dance; besides, they were laying up a
fine store of hides and furs, which
would some day being them in snug
sum.
One day Trapper Wheeler set off
bright and early to secure supply of
ammunition from some traders who
were visiting tribe of Indians about
twenty miles distant.
After his father had gone, Ed busted
himself cleaning his gun and revolver,
then started out along the river and
through the brush to examine the traps,
of which they had a great number.
He decided toSyisit the farthermost
ones first, so if they had secured any
game his load would grow heavier by
degrees, as he returned home.
He had gone about mile and half
from the cabin when he was startled by
the howl of wolf, about three hundred
yards off on the prairie.
1t was midwinter, and though there
was no sun on the ground, the wolves
being so numerous had difficult matter
to get much to eat, and as natural re-
suit they had become somewhat
ferocious.
Ed Wheeler knew this, but he felt no
fear until the howl was taken up be-
hind him, to his left and to his right.
The prairie seemed suddenly TO re-
sound with their hideous bowling, and
the young trapper realized that they
were following his trail.
He had not brought his gun with him,
intending to be absent from the cabin
only short time, but he carried his
revolver in his belt and would not suf-
fer them to approach too n ear his heels.
He determined, however, not to fire
upon the beasts unless they pursued
him too closely. He had only two
charges in his revolver, and had neg
lected to bring any ammunition along.
A few hundred rods before him was
thinly timb stream, which flowed
into the river about half mile dis
tant. Toward this Ed Wheeler was
making his way when his attention
first became attracted to the wolves.
He h ad no notion of being attacked
by them out on the open prairie, so he
struck out on kind of "dog trot" for
the creek.
That was signal for the yelping
beasts to increase their pace.
They came tearing along through the
long prairie grass, brown and dead,
but still tall and thick, in swift pursuit
after the young trapper.
Ed Wheeler began to realize that it
xxy4,,1l ha horI f1,. 1ifa 90
such pack as had suddenly material
lied in his rear.
He judged that the gang was being
almost constantly reinforced by new
recruits, whose howls could be heard
nearly every minute in some new quar-
ter.
He broke into swifter run. If he
could only reach tree on the creek, he
would climb it and defy his hungry
would-be captors.
He had almost gained the stream,
when his foot struck an unseen log half
buried in the rank grass, and down he
came headlong to the ground.
Before he was fairly aware what had
happened to himself, the whole pack
rushed down upon him, swapping and
snarling in most hideous manner.
Young Wheeler's first thought was
that his doom was sealed then and
there. But he was courageous youth,
and one of his principles was ''never to
say die"
Sooner than the pen is able to relate
it, he was on his feet and had sent the
foremost wolf back with one savage
kick from his stout boot. Then. grasp
ing his revolver, he put a bullet through
the next one.
This created little panic among the
voracious beasts, and Ed took advan-
tage of the recoil to dash away toward
tho creek.
The whole gang paused long enough
Co tear their dead comrade to pieces
and lick up the blood. One dead wolf
was only morsel for fifteen or eight
cen gaunt, hungry ones, and it was not
long until Ed heard them bowling after
him again.
He had succeeded in reaching the
bank of the stream before the pursuit
was resumed.
Having tasted blood, he knew their
ferocity would be all the greater, and
he knew, too, that he had not n second
to spare If he would save himself.
The creek bed was perfectly dry at
that place, no rain having fallen all
winter.
Just before him was drift of dead
trees, sticks and brush, left there by
the high waters of last September.
The nearest tree that would afford
him any protection was maple tree,