The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-03-11

ViVhSi Ihe DTOncnOS pallOped of a mile
or so toward Flavin's while was
debating in my mind what was
the best thing to do. l let the
brutes have their heads while the
daylight lasted and the ground was
level, for knew that near the river
the country broke into coulees that
wound in all directions except the one
in which wished TO travel. struck
a narrow one just as darkness was set
ting in. 1t was half full of drifted
snow, and the bronchos sank into it
TIL their ears were scarcely visible.
The little brutes fought out of it, but
the struggle tanned them down and in d.
clined them for walking. After about
an hour of CROPPING around in the dark
ness, during which time / had not the
slightest idea as to my whereabouts,
the sled bumped into narrow wash
out, in pulling out of which the fasten-
ing of the sled tongue gave way, hold
ing together just long enough to drag
the sled to the summi6 of a slight rise,
when 1T parted and the team, plunging
violently forward, jerlSed me over the
front of the sled | struck the ground
with stunning force and was dragged
some distance before / could loosen
the grasp of my benumbed hands on
the reins. When l was able to get on
my feet there was nothing to be seen
of the bronchos. Feeling my way back
in the face of the storm, stumbled,
purely by accident, against the sled.
could not restrain a shout of Joy as
clutched the top of the sled box /
could have hugged the ugly vehicle in a
transport OF rapture.
Turning the sled on its side and
propping it up with the seat, drew nv
arctic sleeping bag from the box, and
spread it out on the lee side of the sled.
placed my Winche ster and cartridge
belt inside and crawled in. My sleep
ing bag cons listed of bags within |
bags" the inner one of goat skin, and
the hairy side turned in; the second of |
imitation seal, and the third or outer
one OF heavy tent duclSing, absolutely |
waterproof, and provided with a hood |
that could be pulled down, closing the |
mouth of the bag, when the occupant !
had made himself snug for the night.
pulled down the hood and resigned
myself to the stu alton. | shivered
little at first but soon be came as snug
and warm rs a kitten on a hearth rug
and actually dropped off to sleep. |
was awakened in little while, how
ever, by the sled blowing over and
pinning me to the ground. After a
good deal of squirming around l man
aged to crawl out and lift the sled off
the bag The wind was howling like
a thousand demons and the air was so
1ull OF tine snow that l could not dis
tlngulsh objects at greater distance
IMAM hfteen feet-not very far, but far
enough to reveal to me the gaunt shiv-
erlng frames of about a dozen large I
pralrle wolves squatting in a circle
around me waiting patiently for nature
to take it's course.
was cold no longer, excepting. per- Z
laps, narrow streak that extended
he full length of my spinal col
INN. Drawing the Winchester from v
he bag, l turned loose on the largest n
If the starving brutes and succeeded v
II soothing etfectually the pangs of his g
lunger' laid out three more of them,
md winged still another before they v
seemed to realize that | meant Just !.
Vhat said. was fast getting warmed '
Ip to the work in hand, when the un- Il
amy beasts skunk sullenly off into the 81
tormy darkness. Then / reloaded the r'
magazine of the rifle, lifted the bag "
lto the sled and crawlcd into it. was u
ust on the point of doing off again, n
hen the howl of wolf came down e.
n the wind, followed in the next II
reath by score of answering howls,
oming from all points Raising the oi
GOD OF the sleeping bag with the muz- NJ NJ
lie OF the rifle ! lay and awaited de- y,
elopm ents. First came a chorus of II
larls and yelps, apparently from un- al
er the sled, followed by a genuine "a
Fully fifty of the fam bI
he'd brutes We're fighting over the to
ony carcasses of those that had fallen ST
my rifle. While the storm had not DC
dated IN the least, the full moon had III
'unu clear place in the heavens and I'd
lie brightness of MONDAY was all sa
'ound me. a
l raised myself slightly, cooked the 81: 81
lie and, glancing over the top of the ~ ~
ed box, had selected a skinny old hag -
she wolf with which to furnish 90
'ntlnuance of the riotous feast, when, e .e
lppening to glance toward the rear VI
the sled, l encountered the gaze of a ie
llr OF wicked eyes, set deep in the He
LAD OF a wolf of gigantic size. The .. 81
ute had thrust his head over the tail 49,
bard, and craning his scraggy neck as '"
r. out as was possible, he barred his
sk-like fangs until I could have w
united every one of them, had 1 SO W.
inded. The starving creature never VI
nched when l thrust the muzzle of sti
e rifle within twelve inches of it's mi
out The pungent odor of singed vi
lir followed the crack of the rifle.
he blood had scarcely begun to flow
ON the empty eye socket when the wa
Irsh swapping of sharp teeth told me Ia
at my services as purveyor of fresh e.
eat were being thoroughly appreci- A.
ed. l knew that l could not very +h
ell shoot amiss, so l opened fire W.
rough the tail board with telling eff ~,
ct, as the 'yips" and howls that fol- aa,
wed each shot attested. At last the ~
und of intercine strife began to grow %.
int, and | knew that the survivors a.
the feast and the fray were tn
her getting filed up or had at ~,
st taken my oft-repeated hint that -,
ey were not wanted. Come what s,,,
ght, resolved to assume the often ~,
re, so, having recharged the maga- pl'
lie, l peered cautiously over the top Srt 1T
the box. There was not a live wolf ~
sight, but there were several dead Wv Wv
es in the rear of the sled. To these w,
4