Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-02-24
Attacked by Wolves.

Attacked by Wolves.
William Mcknight, of Buffalo, N.
Y, and James Barnes, of Hoboken, N.
j., mad q peculiar and exciting ex'
perience when on O fishing trip few
weeks ago. Among the Pennsylvania
hills, few miles from Binghamton,
there are several lakes, well stocked
with fish. Tip-up fishing has become
favorite winter pastime IN the vicin-
ity, and these men settled down for
two weeks vacation around the lakes.
1t was their custom to set dozen or
more lines over night, and tho next
morning they would find fish on their
hooks.
For the first few days all went we'll.
Then, on arriving one morning, they
found not only no fish, but that their
lines were broken and the hooks miss
ing. Tracks on tho snow told them
that bear was the guilty one. Bear
traps and similar devices were of no
avail in catching him. The fish dis
appeared and the stock of hooks was
rapidly lowered. Barnes suggested u
plan. They procured quantity of
whisky of the "red.eye" brand and
proceeded to pickle number of fish
they had caught in the daytime. Re-
moving their tip-ups they placed tho
fish near the holes in the ice.
They did not reach the spot the
next day until nearly nightfall, and
then strange sight met their eyes.
On tie ice lay large bear, alive, but
frozen fast to the ice. He had evil
IDENTIFY partaken excessively of the
'doctored" fish, and lay in n pool
formed by the partially melted snow.
AS the sun declined, tho water con-
gealed, freezing Bruins long hair to
the ice, and when he recovered his
sober senses it was to find himself q
prisoner. The fishermen were armed
with an axe, hunting knife and o
shotgun. A charge OF lead put IN end
to Bruin's sufferings, and they proceed
ed to cut up their game.
When at work q sound at the edge
of q patch of woods bordering on the
lakes caused them to glance up, and q
swift. gray object darting across the
ice sent chill of horror through
their veins. Though they had never
seen n wolf they instantly realized
they would soon be called to battle
with one of mankind's fercest enc
mics. Before they could collect their
thoughts the gray object appeared
again, another and another, until n
band of wolves were circling around
them, shifting tho snow. The pack
was small one, numbering not over
half a dozen, but so far as their means
of defense was concerned, it was
more than sufficient to mean death.
They would have given considerable
to have the charge of lead which was
now in Bruins body back in the gun.
They had only a hunting knife and an
ak. Nearer and nearer came the
wolves. Neither of the men spoke,
but both braced themselves. Nc
Knight with the ax and Barnes with
the knife. Suddenly Mcknight drop
ped his ax and seized pail they had
been carrying. 1t contained q guam
tity of the "doctored" fish they had
prepared for another trap. These he
hurled, one at time, toward his
clrcling enemies.
Ravenous with hunger, they stopped
not to investigate, but fought for
these remnants of feast. 1t sent
chill through the men as they watched
the struggle, and realized their pos
sible fate. Soon, however, the liquor
began to work. and as one of the pack
would show signs of stupor his COM
rades would fall upon and rend him to
pieces. Three of tho animals were
disposed of in this way, when the re-
mainder, realizing something was
wrong with them, withdrew to the
shelter of the woods. 1t is unncces-
sary to say the fishermen did not give
chase.