The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-03
chased ev WOLVES.


%. - -
fhrilaias Ezpsrissss VIII Me Eseocaoas
Animals Near HAWKS Landing.
! It was in the latter part OF January
years ago that ! found myself at
Hawks Landing, on the Minnesota side
Of the Mississippi river Just below the
FOOT Of the lake. whittier ! had gone
with an uncle. He found that his bust
ness would detain him longer than he
expected and he decided to send mo
back alone on the stage. 1t should
have left the landing at o'clock, but
1t was delayed somewhere down the
river and did not arrive till nearly J.
It was full afternoons drive to Lake
City. The driver was rough and
dissipated man, but he had the reputa-
ton OF always keeping sober till after
the days trip had been completed. But
the delay may have upset him, and
think be began drinking before we
started. although no one then noticed
It. He certainly had provided himself
with large bottle Of liquor, as / soon
had occasion to know. I suppose I
could not have been more than u or ID
years old, although life In a new coun-
try and on a farm had given me ability
to take care Of myself beyond my
| years.
We were not yet half way when
the sun was only little above the
Minnesota bluffs, with big orange sun
dogs standing up each side of 1t. Just
as 1t disappeared below the bluffs the
, driver slid out of his seat into drunk
en- sleep In the bottom of the sleigh. I
climbed over into the front seat and
took the reins myself
You seem to know how to drive;
do you think we can get there to-
night?" asked the other passenger.
Il can drive four horses" I answer
ed very proudly. I'VE can get through,
I guess, If it doesn't storm SO that we
can't follow the trees"
l had for some time been looking
anxiously for the lights Of the town,
although there was no hope of seeing
them yet, when my attention was at
tracted by dark object on the snow
far to the right toward the Wisconsin
shore.
The man saw it and said: Whats
coming over there-some other
teams?"
They wouldn't be going so fast" I
answered, picking up the whip from
the bottom Of the sleigh. The shadow
was now directly to the right.
It's some sort OF an animal" went
on the man. He paused for moment
and added: They look like big dogs"
At that moment there came the cry
had so often heard at home, only much
deeper, harsher and louder.
They're wolyes!" I said, and I
cracked the whip at the horses, al
though that was hardly necessary, as
they heard the savage howl as well as
we did and knew it meant danger.
The second time looked back saw
that the pack was much nearer. could |
make out the leaders and see that there |
must be 20 or 80 Of the animals all |
told. My fellow passenger was cling
Ing to the seat and crying to me to |
drive faster, although the horses were
fairly running away and l had practi-
cally no control over them one way or
the other.
Cant you throw out the trunk and
back seat?' I shouted to him.
| heard the man throwing out the
small sacks and the buffalo robes. The
robes seemed to delay the wolves
longer than anything else. They
stopped and tore them to shreds. We
got quarter of mile start. All this
time the drunken driver was sleeping
like log In the bottom Of the sleigh.
The horses were becoming exhaust
ed, and could feel that they were 60
ing slower. Right ahead l could see a
high ridge in the ice where 1t had
cracked and showed up. A notch had
been cut in it just wide enough for
sleigh to pass through held the
relgns steady and tried to slow up
little, in the hope of steering safely
through the narrow crack. As we
came up to it I saw dark streak be-
tween the rough cones at either side;
the crack had opened two or three
feet during the day and new ice had
formed. We struck the opening in the
ridge squarely; the nigh horse reared
up and jumped over the new ice, but
the other stepped on it and broke
through with one forward leg. He
fell, but the other horse dragged him
and the sleigh beyond the crack,
where we stopped all in a heap.
| jumped over the dashboard and
fell in the snow beside the horse. He
was struggling to rise, but l guessed
what had happened and threw my body
across his neck and felt of his leg. 1t
was crushed and broken. got out my
knife, cut the breast strap which held
the neck yoke and called to the man
to unlock the traces, which he man
aged to do at last.
The wounded horse was again strug-
Cling to rise, and had sprawed him
self out of the way. | shouted at the
other horse; he started with a bound.
and the man and l threw our
selves into the sleigh, half knocking
out our brains as our heads struck to-
gether. We looked back and saw the
whole hungry pack fall upon the aban-
doned horse and bear him down just
as the poor animal had succeeded in
getting upon his three sound legs.
The horse that was still attached to
the sleigh plunged on bravely for some
distance, with the sleigh-tongue al
most ploughing in the snow, but he
soon tired out and dragged himself
along in startled sort Of way. But it
made no difference, as the wolves
never pursued us again.
We got out and walked beside the
sleigh to keep warm, and, as the crack
was only two miles from town, It was
not long before we reached our destina-