The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-25


ing bag consisted 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 ducking, absolutely
waterproof. and provided with hood
that could be pulled down, closing the
mouth of the bag. when the occupant
had made himself snug for the night
l pulled down tho hood and resigned
myself to the stu alton. shivered a
little at first. but soon be came as snug
and warm as . kitten on a hearth rug
and actually dropped off to sleep
was awakened in q little while, how
ever, by the sled blowing over and
pinning me to the ground. After .
good deal of squirming around, man.
aged to crawl out and lift the sled off
the bag. The wind was bowling like
a thousand demons and the air was so
full of fine snow that / could not dis
tinguish objects at a greater distance
than fifteen feet-not very far, but far
enough to reveal to me the gaunt shiv-
ering frames of about a dozen large
prairie wolves squatting in circle
around me waiting patiently for nature
to take its course.
1 was cold no longer, excepting. per-
haps, narrow streak that extended
the full length of my spinal col
umn Drawing the Winchester from
the bag, / turned loose on the largest
of the starving brutes and succeeded
in soothing effectually the pangs Of his
hunger. laid out three more of them.
and winged still another before they
seemed to realize that j meant just
what said. was fast getting warmed
up to the work in hand, when the I'M
canny beasts skunk sullenly off into the
stormy darkness. Then / reloaded the
magazine Of the rifle, lifted the bag
into the sled and crawled into it. was
just on the point OF doing off again,
when the howl of wolf came down
on the wind, followed in the next
breath by score Of answering bowls.
coming from all points. Raising the
hood Of the sleeping bag with the muz-
zlenpf the rife ! lay and awaited de-
vefopm ents- First came chorus OF
snaris and yelps, apparently from I'M
der the sled, followed by genuine
panoemonium- Fully fifty of the fam
ished brutes were fighting over the
bony carcasses of those that had fallen
to my rife. While the storm had not
found clear place in the heavens and
the brightness OF MONDAY was ali
around noe.
/ raised myself slightly. cooked the
rife and, CHANGING over the top of the
sled box, bad selected a skinny old bag
of she wolf with which 10 furnish
continuance of the riotous feast when,
happe ming to glance toward the rear
Of the sled, j encountered the gaze OF a
pair Of wicked eyes, set deep in the
head of a wolf of gigantic size The
brute had thrust his head over the tail
board. and craning his scrzggy neck as
far out as was possible. he barred his
tusk-like fangs until ] could have
counted every one of them, had / SO
minded The starving creature never
fincbed when / thrust the muzzle Of
the rife within twelve inches Of its
srout The pungent odor of singsd |
The blood had scarcely begun to flow |
from the empty eye socket when the |
harsh swapping of sharp teeth told ne
that nv services as a purvcyor OF fresh /
meat were being Thoroughly app-ecS- !
ated knew that I could not very |
well shoe. arjss, so I opened fire |!
the ,ail board with telling ef- /
feet. as the ''yipe" and bowls that fol- l
lowed each shot a.tested- At las, The 1
sound of intercins strife began TO grow 4
faint. and | krsw that the survivors /
Of the feast and the fray were
either getting filed up OF had At
!ast taken ny oft-repeated hint that
they were not wanted Come whSs
might. resolved 20 assume the ofeo-
sive, so. having rechargcd tie maya
zine. peered cautiously over the top
Of the bcx- There was not live wolf
in sight, Do. there were several dead
ones in the rear Of the sled To these
the driving Sow was fast g;vtng sep
--Iture Cfyafross ted ~ the sssrrancs
that n case any Of the brute. saoasd
return Their wosild find cold lanea