The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-28
RACE FOR LIFE WITH WOLVES.
A RECENT INCIDENT or WOOO
LIFE ENDING IN A TRAGEDY.
Flight OF Two Woodsmen Over the Tee
From . Ra,enous Pack-Though They
Held Their Own In . %.Mile stretch.
an lnlucky Turn DOWned Ono.

Hull, Canada. Dec. 27.-lntelligence
has Just been received here Of one Of those
startling tragedies which now and then
direct attention 20 class OF men who spend
more than half the months OF each wear
in the solitude Of the pine woods. Secluded
in their log shanties from early In Sep
TENDER, with. as a rule, no connection with
the civilized world until the frost permits
teamsters TO bring their horses along tho
bush roads and over the lakes. these men
are glad 10 seize every opportunity for
change.
When the lakes were covered with .
clear sheeting Of ice recently two young
fellows employed on the shore OF Deer
Lake secured two pairs OF skates which
CHANGED TO he in the place and set out a.
night to visit another band Of men about
nine miles away. With the exception OF
little portage OF about half mile between
| two lakes. the whole journey was by Ice
and was no very formidable undertake. ne
to the two sturdy log makers.
As they were hobbling over the portage
on their skates. they were startled by the
sudden breaking across their path Of
red deer followed by three or four wolves.
who were close upon the heels OF their
prey. being WITHOUT dtIeIisiNc "cdPoo'
| OF any kind they realized their danger II
another pack Of wolves should as Is often
the case. follow after the beasts they had
seen pass, and they made all speed to the
| lake before them.
just as they were breaking through
| the thin ice at the lake side. they heard
| a whining behind them and then the low
howl which told them that their track
l..
| certainly be followed But by the time
the wolves reached the waterside where
| they caught their first sight OF the men
| they were tracking, the two shanty men
| had reached the firm ice AMI were skating
| In earnest.
| Fortunately for them there were a few
hundred yards Of thin ice to be crossed,
which almost but not quite held up the
wolves. and by its sharp edges wounded
| and hinder ed them greatly. Otherwise
they would have caught up with the men.
and probably have o. empowered them
before they had gone half a mile.
| As it was they had almost overtaken
them before they had covered the first
| "alf Of their four-mile race. Neither OF
the men was hunter and this was their
| nisi experience with wolves. But by lnu-
| tual agreement they adopted the very best
| tactics possible, and when their pursuers
| came too near to them, wheeled sha rply
1
| no grip TO their claws, the wolves could not
turn or stop suddenly, but generally shot
| forward and made several stumbes, and
sometimes somersaults before getting on
| To the fresh tack
| In this manner the skaters avoided the
brutes for some time, and would probably
have reached their destination but for an
| unfortunate suggestion OF the younger
man. that they would be more likely to
tire out the wolves II they separated. In
accordance with this plan, they wheeled In
different directions at the end Of an island
they were approaching.
As the elder man reached the other end
Of this wooded island he saw before him the
sparks which issued from the huge Chin
ncy Of the shanty he was searching for.
Putting on all OF his remaining strength
he spurted on to where the cooks path led
from the shanty to the water hole. There:
| the two big gray timber wolves which had
| elected to follow him. turned tail and with
a parting yelp turned In their tracks,
BY some curious accident the poor fellow
stumbled az he was approaching the low
| door Of the shanty and fell. breaking his
| right leg just below the knee. The pain
| and the previous exertion were too much
for his Overstrained nerves, and II wa
could recover him from the swoon into
| which he fell a. he was carried inside.
When consciousness returned his hrst
question was for his companion whom.
| fl' ndu ldst seen HS flt hhdtcu dIOuuu wv
little island In the lake. As soon as the
men could be made TO understand the
situation, dozen Of them started out to
see what had befallen the other traveller.
Within 200 yards Of their winter home
they found the blood-stained spot where
the unfortunate young fellow had been
| attacked in front by the two brutes which
had chased his friend In the lightly falling
snow could be read the whole story OF his
destruction. His boots and skates and a
| r.,Nv fro Of clnthinn all thu
tangible signs Of the tragedy left by the
| wolves.
Happily for the injured man, a shanty
missionary on his rounds reached the Island
| where he lay that same night, and being n
| medical man also was able TO set his leg
with some degree OF satisfaction. Strangely
enough, ~ il happened, the clergyman
had taken with him, AZ his driver for the
| trip, an uncle Of the man devoured on the
ice, who was greatly attached to his nephew
and was conveying to him substantial
token Of his regard in hard cash as Christ
| mas present.