Griggs courier., 1898-03-18


they appreciated the helpless condition
Of their intended victim, and as dark.
ness came Oh, the hungry bloodthirsty
band became bolder and bolder. They
circled around the terrified and iaded
man and, closing in, started to attack
him on all sides. One more vicious and
impulsive than the others made spring
at the DOCTORS throat, but we'll direct
ed blow from club temporarily dis
abled the animal and caused his raven
ous companiors to discontinue at that
time their premeditated and combined
attack.
"The doctor. by this thrilling episode
and the frightened condition of the
wolves, succeeded in going perhaps a
mile unmolested when, to his great
horror, he found the whole pack, led by
the vicious brute he believed he had
manned with his club, hot on his trail.
The stunning blow administered to the
leader of the bowling band seemed to
have only intensified the brute's cour-
age and thirst for blood. The man,
weakened by long exposure and loss of
food, realized that he would soon Le torn
to pieces if he did not adopt some new
means of defense.
Fortunately, as the animals began
closing around him for another on
slaught, he reached high rock and
mounted on its top, where giant tree
served to protect him from falling back
ward. He reached this eminence in time
to provide himself with some stones and
two or three good clubs before his pur-
suers started to attack him. He stood
back to tho tree, and as the animals at
tempted to come up he drove them back
with his primitive weapons. A large
stone hurled with great force and &C.
curacy broke the head of one of the as
sailants, and this gave the doctor q
breathing SPELL.
The man, however, realized that he
must soon quit his refuge, and, remem-
bering that he had in his saddlebags O
large bottle full Of ammonia, he deter
mined to employ it as final resort to
save his life. He quickly removed one
of his green baize leggings, tied it Sc
curely to stick, and after saturating
the logging with ammonia he boldly
started down the rocky promontory to-
ward the wolves. The cunning animals,
apparently aware that he could be more
easily overpowered on level ground,
separated, skunk off and permitted him
to proceed several hundred yards before
they renewed the pursuit. They did not,
however, allow much time to elapse be-
fore they took the trail of the man who
had thus far SO successfully bafiled their
powers.
"The doctor stood still and waited
until one of the brutes rushed within
an. arms length, when he struck him
in the face with the cloth saturated
with aGnmonia. This reception was q
most novel and unique one for the wolf,
who ran off howling with pain. Two
more of the band were slapped across
the mouths with the saturated baize,
and they also left. After this experience
the wolves followed the doctor till day
light next morning, when they gave up
the chase, which they had continued for
z8 hours aud which unquestionably
would have resulted in most horrible
death if it had not been for the contents
Of the ammonia bottle.
"Dr. Thornton succeeded in finding
ehanty occupied by the men construct
ing the Catawissa railroad, where he
was carefully cared for, and in the
course Of four or five days was taken to
his home, where he was i'll for fully
month. .o-Philadelphia Record,