New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-28
CHASED BY A HUNGRY PACK.
AN EXCITING ADVENTURE IN THE NORTH
WEST

From The ST. Louis Globe Democrat.
Reports from the Northwest and the timber dis
tricts lying along the Red River indicate that me
gray wolf is giving settlers more trouble than usual
Dy menacns their iocks and herds. There Is a
bounty on the scalp Of every gray WOLF Killed, ana
q good many MAKE fair livnS by hunting the
animal. but it holds its own in numbers ana loses
none of It's natural ferocity. Ordinarily the gray
wolf Is not a dangerous creature for man TO meet
but it frequently happens in the winter that it is
driven desperate by hunger, and then heaven he!p
the living creature tina; happens to cross its path
II roams over the prairie in small packs and when
prey Is scented there is wild scramble among
them TO get the first nab at it,
In Richland County than are there to-day, and
there many cattle TO be preyed upon.
the traveller across the prairie frequently had 10
race FOR his life with the gaunt gray providers that
trees that grew Commercial travellers whose bust
ness took them among the small towns that had no
railroad connections often had hair-rasing stories
TO tell Of their experience with gray wolves. one
the animals is related by Augustus Stockdale Who
lie had lively rival in William Clark The route
OF these two men took them over the same terri.
tory at the same time. and they were always try
ihS 70 Deat each other into the towns. and do
which one might outwit the other
IL happened that one day these two men struck
1882 and winter breaking up Late in the of
ternoon they finished their business in Iidgewood
and were to go from there to Fargo The near"st
railway station was Wahpeton. to which place thew
were Obliged 10 drive. There was no possihiijty
was but one norihbonnd train nat nisbi 1Hefe
eft Wahpeton at $50 o'clock. This train thev both
intended 10 take JON
DISTANT WARNING
I'm me drive to Wahpeton would take little more
In sleigh drawn by pair OF strong-egged horses
ana driven by Norwegian employed at the livery
moonlight, the seighing was excellent ana the
enconrar,D o reacn ih Wahpeton in an hour was
spread over the prairie. and the driver decided to
ca, l itTss lots ana thus shorten the distance
he
covered and the horses had pulled np to Walk
Ttre ~, 3bor r t cigar when there sound
y IN ms seat ana look back The same instant
dale =, heard the sound and asked the driver what
sounded like woSry m bp pGgobmP replied that
ing when the short. sharp bark of a wolf came
swinging through the air from away in the rcn~
Sna hen there was another and another. Stock
dale looked around, and away off TO the Ioft bn
saw ten or dozen dark spots scattered over tb he
VITA VIE wolves sure OLE said he to the driver
horses began measuring the soil at tremendous
the wry gf"y 1d ard Is no no match in speed Toy
d dTnd 'no feIsn became more frequent and more
ana carried it in readiness Io n msa a reyoyer
an9 tSc fdrn wolves were gaining the horses
gaopcd swiftly after the scigh Thcy Wy as ,3Gy
a9y after The horses. but stoc!dale knew enough
hesitate to roll his flesh under their tongues as
sweet y. morsel if they got the chance 80
of the drivers voice and the stir Of he %
but they were losing ground and when they set set
mo run they could not widen the gap between
the sleigh and the wolves TO make rnotteTs No.
serious ser l, ole announced that he had driven out Of
he was headed for the Red River which wos ab bI
I"o miles ahead, as near as he could calculate the
The trees on the bank of the river were clearly
ha st0G oz Kept his eyes on The wolves who
they were after. and they had reached point
his Tb.r.
thirteen of them. and there were bur seven shots
In siockdale,s revolver He didn't want to take
I'll the wolves got close to the sleigh before firing
REFUGE IN TREE
the horses were at gaop, and the sleigh was
fairly lying over the snow The trees along the
n sockdac took his rst IS shot Ut al ih w aTy
His aim was true. and one stricken animal rolled
TO strip his bones Of the flesh while the Others
bounded along after the sleigh with renewed speed.
The horses, frantic with fear leapcd toward tho
river and Owed among the trees apparently in
hnId , as TO wner hey Were going They were
the runners coll.ded with stump the TWO men
went flying through the air. with the robes and
hurt and quickly getting to their feet they scram-
n Die up a cotton wood Tree that rose out at an
plunged into the water and sank among the ice
foes with which the river was filled.
For the time being the men were safe but their
position was dubious one, for the wolves dis
appointed IN not getting AZ the horses. walked up
the men and made the night hideous with their
hoWngs The river was swollen with the spring
fftshet, ana hdu risen nearly the top OF It's
banks. Large cakes OF Ice from the upper waters
drove under the tree At frequent intervals at al
most railroad speed. Pcrched among the limbs
over the whirlns flood Stockdale's thoughts turned
TO business. and he erltted his teeth when he faw
Clark outslr!pping him In the to Fargo He
knew pretty well that when daylight came the
wolves would leave. but by that time Clark would
be In the city down the river ready to do business
with the merchants In his misery he took shot
at one OF the yclping animals but II didn't reach
the mark. and The entire pack hoWled louder than