The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-17
ELKs AND WOLVES IN BATTLE.
A California Pioneers Danger on the
Plains in the Cold Winter of 1915.

Plains in the Cold Winter of IS54-5.
From the New York Sun.
The news Of the recent snowstorms and
Billiards has set all the old-timers in
California recalling experiences on the
plains in the forties and ffties. John Phil
lipzon tells this story:
The very coolest winter I remember
was that Of 1915 1 was with a man
named Johnson settling on a land claim in
Eastern Nebraska. We were sixty-three
miles west of what was the little village
Of Omaha. and we had to get all our sup
plies from there. Lots of times the snow
was 50 deep that we could not get more
than three or four miles from our cabin
by a hard days work We would have
died of starvation several times if it had
not been for the game around the creek.
As il was, we had deer, buffalo and elk
meat at nearly every meal, and much of
IL. of course we got tired of the diet,
and one day l got up and vowed /
was going to Omaha to get something
different to eat, sack of Hour or corn
meal.
johnson tried to keep me al home. and
said l was taking a great risk He pre-
dicted a blizzard in d day or two. which we
knew meant sure death if II caught any
one out on the prairie. But i wouldn't
listen to Johnson, and set of on my horse.
/ got to Omaha safe enough. bought
sack of -four and started back to our cabin.
over sixty miles away, mind you. / got
within fifteen miles of the cabin. when a
north wind came sweeping suddenly down
across the prairie. In less than half an
hour the mercury cropped thlrty degrees,
ana freezing weather was upon me. The
horse knew we were in danger. and tried
TO get along as fast as he could.
we made slow work of it, and, as we
went past q thicket of cottonwood trees, l
saw something big and gray run swiftly
into the road and go about twenty yards
ahead of us. 1t was wolf, great white
chap, that kept looking back a. US. with
bloodshot eyes. Presently another Joined
him, then a third. "A fourth. until from
every hummock the swiftly moving ami
mails came hoclSing. There must have
been a hundred of them, and a thrill of
horror shot through me. All the grew
some stories l had heard of travellers be-
ing overtaken and killed by these animals
came to me. ] had. IL was true, my rifle
and revOlvers, but l could not hope to kill
half the pack. As | thought Of this one of
the wolves sprang at the ponys throat.
He shook it off with a spring forward, but
another leaped up instead. / brought my
whip down upon the creatures back and
It fell with a yelp. Lasning right and
left | cleared a short space ahead for
brief moment. and the poor pony shot on,
straining every nerve. But the pack was
on US one more and a gigantic fellow,
hurting himself straight at the pony's
throat, fastened its fangs in the flesh,
dragging the poor animal down on its
knees i leaped forward and placed my
pistol close TO the VOLTS ear and fired. 1t
fell over dead but ! saw that the pony
was bleeding to death with great hole
in it's neck from which the blood was
pouring in a stream. At the sight the
wolves seemed to go mad, and fell upon
the pony with fury.
Taking advantage or the opportunity
leaped from the saddle and ran, knowing
that as soon as they had finished the
pony l would share Its fate. What 1
hoped to do l cannot tell, but the in
stinct was to run and did. In less time
than il takes to tell It l heard them com
ing and, casting my eyes despalring about
l saw only the cleaning snow, looking all
the whittier and more cruel Tor the light
pouring from the moon:
a rush of feet from the opposite direction,
and the next moment a. band OF elkS swept
into sight. Magnificent fellows they were
eight males and three does. with a couple
Of calves They had evidently been STAN
NEEDED By something, and swept past ne
without seeing me, but stopped short on
catching sight of the wolves. The does
turned back and started to gallop away
in the direction from which they came,
but .,r7e of the bucks gave a cry and they
stopped short, and huddled together with
the fawns between them, while the bucks
surrounded them. Each buck lowered his
horns and awaited the attack. The wolves,
seeing the Gordon of bristling bone, paused
disconnected for moment Then the fore
most, a gaunt old wolf, gave a
howl and threw himself upon the
lower antlers. He was flung fully ten feet
with a broken back; but his fate did not
deter the others. They threw themselves
upon the elks only to be pierced by the
prongs. 1t was not until fully twenty had
in this way been MANNED and killed that
they seemed to realize the hopelessness of
the thing. That they desisted at all was
a matter of surprise TO me, for, as every
plainsInan will tell you these animals are
simply fearless and as logged as a mule
II had watched this battle from = hill
lock on which | had seated myself. Why
didn't / run? Where would have run to-
Besides, the cold was numbing, and l
watched the fight with a drowsy interest
as If 1T had nothing to do with me at all
| fully expected that when the wolves
found that they were not to have the elk
they would try me, but
they had evidently forgotten all about me
and only sat around for awhile eyeins
the horn barrier wistfully. as if hopirg
that the elks would tire out, but finding
that the formidable antlers remained sui
ted off. The elks waited for some min
utes longer and then. breaking rank
moved off in the opposite direction. I
was by this time so nearly frozen that it
was all l could do to reach one of the
wolves and tear the carcass open and
creep inside. Was he big enough? Why
man. the white wolf is as big as a calf a
year old They have left these parts some
time ago, but while they We're here they
were feared by man and brute
"You may smile all you want. and wink
at one another as much you please
but l stayed in the old fellows carcass
until long after daylight the next day. /
got UP Olltt VI l0ANG QhlAliE tilt HlBNl 10
gather together some fagots and prairie
grass along the banks of the slough, and
made a fire of them. 1t saved my life
Ny partner Johnson, had heard the
wolves barking during the night, and had
got up with his rifle at first break of day
fearing that some danger might befali
me. We hunted around in the morning
and found only the bones of what was
my horse the night before. The wolves
had made short work Of the poor beast.
Since that night ! have talked with many
an old hunter on the plains, and they gem
orally say that elks always meet their
foe as / had seen them. especially If
they have time for some preparation"
A Dog story From FrOissart.
Froissart, says the New York Times.
was an eyewitness Of the events that pre-
ceded the deposition of Richard H., and
writes of them with spirit and aDprecia-
ton. In a new edition of the famous
chronicles" there is a particularly hapi,v