Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-10-29
Fight for Life
With Wolves.
A Ranchmans Thrilling Adventure on the
Western Plains.

I
time, so had taken n well-earned holi-
day and had gone over to Fort Larned
to pay visit to friends who were then
in the service of the government
Being mounted on a good horse and
accompanied by my favorite dog, Tim,
did not feel lonesome, and it was
| just getting dusk when | set out on
my return journey. Tim thought he
would venture ON II little hunting eX-
| pedition of his own, so, leaving me to
follow at my leisure, spurted on ahead
i'll search of game.
Il had not ridden very far before
l became aware of an unusual amount
of noise and barking some distance
in front, and apparently in line of
where | was heading for. l had not
that would Indicate where my dog
was, so when this yelping suddenly
smote my ear | surmised that he had
cornered or captured some sort of
game.
Carefully examining my revolvers,
of which | moStalways carried couple
in my belt when out on these cX-
Cursions by myself, | rode hurriedly
| forward to investigate the trouble. In
another moment l was in the midst
Of the conflict, and then it was for
The first time l became fully aware of
what was transpiring.
at wasn't dogs at all, as / at first
Thought, that We're killing my hound,
but wolves-prairie wOlves-and as
soon as | took in the situation l knew
that not only the life of my favorte
dog was in danger, but |, myself, was
| in a tight place and must act, and
that quickly, if | ever expected to
reach my friends alive The moon had
| by this time lifted her illuminated
face above the eastern sky line, and
her mellow light enabled me to family
! distinguish this struggling mass of
wolves fighting over the remains of
my poor dog. He was past all help
on my part, but had died game and
| fighting to the last, as was evidenced
| by number of dead and dying wolves
scattered round the edge of their sur
viving comrades.
"a feeling of revenge took posses
sion of me at the sight of my dead
hound, and utterly regardless of my
own safety l determined to get even
with these four-legged cannibals for
the loss of my dog. My horse was
shying and prancing so that my aim
was poor and as soon as | began fir
| ing it was all that l could do to keep
him from running off. But l was de-
termined to have revenge, and CON
tinued firing into the crowd of wolves
until had emptied both my revolyers.
! My aim must have been bad, for after
l had ceased firing there seemed to be
as many wolves still surviving as
there were when l began, but l must
have put several of them out of the
game at least. Maddened by the
taste of blood, and almost devouring
one another in their eagerness to
satisfy their ravenous hunger, they,
all at once, turned their attention to
where l and my now thoroughly
frightened horse were standing.
"'Twas then | fully realized my
perilous position. Unarmed rs l was,
having exhausted all my ammunition,
l was in no manner match for these
savage animals, who were maddened
to frenzy by the taste of blood. My
only safety lay in flight, and without
n moments hesitation | dug the spurs
into my horse and he responded to tle
unkind treatment on my part by Civ
ing q leap that almost threw me ont
of the saddle, and was off like the
wind.
81 headed him as best l could in
the direction of where l thought our
camp lay, and glancing back over my
shoulder saw that the wolves had de-
serted their recent prey and were now
following close in my wake. | knew
l would become an easy victim If
once they caught up with me- and |
became thoroughly alarmed at the
thought of falling into their clutches
and sharing the fate of my poor
houdd.
Hiiving my horse full rein, regard
less of consequences, and urging him
forw ard, with my spurs, he bounded
over the prairie, leaping holes like a
stag, with me clinging to the saddle
for dear life. lie, too, realized the
peril we were in, and, good, sensible
beast as he was. tried his utmost to
get mS out of my predicament
"But we were having harder time
of 1t than we wished. The ground
was so rough it was difficult travel
ing, and more than once my horse
stumbled and / came near going over
his head, and that would have ended
my journey. l realized that my foes
were gaining rapidly on me, and my
how / strained my eyes to catch q
glimpse of the friendly light of our