The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-09-09
A RACE FOR LIFE

/ lAC AO %
some miles from Moscow recently had
a terrible adventure with a pack Of
wolves. After riding a long time, he
says, l heard a slight sound as Of
yak, yak" I stopped and dismount-
ed In order to listen. After awhile I
heard it again plainly. I concluded
that it must be a dog barking in some
farmyard e
Mounting again, l rode on at a re-
doubled rate. The only thing that
perplexed me was that the sound came
from behind, but this I attributed to
some curious echo.
Soon the sound grew louder, and it
was plain that whatever it was it
came from more Threats than one. 1t
was like a bark, yet it was not the
bark of a dog.
In a moment the hideous truth burst
in upon me. The sound was from be-
hind. They were following me. They
were drawing up on me. They were
not dogs. They were wolves.
- u \ AOlL 40 IL IACIC WCIC
no power in my limbs. Only by a
strong effort l managed to work the
bicycle at all. Even in those few Sec
onds Of terror the brutes had measur-
ably approached.
Regainmg courage, I raced for my
life. ! certainly forged ahead a little,
but / could not keep the speed. Closer
and closer undoubtedly they were com
Ing. And now as the brutes were
gaining on me they ceased to yelp.
But this was even less endurable.
TO think of death-and a death so hor-
rible-coming thus, silent and newt
able, in the darkness Of the night, in
the midst Of the Russian pine forest!
l could now hear the scurrying, pat
tering sound they made as they sped
over the ground. Sometimes a solitary
yelp would break the stiffness, and once
or twice, as If preconcerted, the whole
pack burst into a fearful chorus.
The moon was o up, and l could
see, as looked back, the pack 100
yards behind, all but one lean, famish-
ed brute, who, with red tongue lolling
out, was, l saw to my horror, within
ten yards Of me-.
Just then the noise of a torrent burst
on my ears. A wide, open space in the
center of the forest lay before me.
Running through the center of it shone
In the moonlight the foaming waters of
a mountain stream.
1t lay down in a low but steep ra-
vine, it's rocky bank rising straight to
the height of ten feet or thereabout.
On the opposite bank 1 could see the
white road still continuing. Farther
on a light beamed out.
l shouted loud, but it only seemed to
set the wolves behind me yelping more
iercely than ever.
But, looking ahead, l perceived that
the bridge no longer existed. 1t had
probably been swept away by some
food in the river.
Despairingly 1 looked at the light
that lay only a few hundred yards
away from me, that light that promised
shelter and human companionship to
me could 1 only reach it. I shouted
and shouted again and again.
l was now within ten yards of the
river. Twas hesitating whether to end
my life at once by riding over the preci-
pice and into the torrent or to dismount
and die standing at bay.
Just as l was about to adopt the lat
ter course 1 perceived that the bridge
was not entirely gone. One solitary
pine trunk spanned the torrent from
cliff to cliff.
In II moment I had decided on my
course. I grasped the handles tightly
and put on the highest speed I could,
for I knew that the faster the pace the
more accurately I could steer.
! murmured q prayer. I vas on the
beam. Fortunately it was somewhat
planed at the top.
Steadily I kept my eyes on the mar
row track, every little ~unevenness,
every knot in the timber I had to steer
clear of. The slightest jolt would have
cast me into the swirling waters be-
meath.
l may say with truth that the tex
ture and outline Of every inch Of that
beam are imprinted on my memory to
this day.
So intent was I on 1t that for the
time l gave not a thought to the
wolves that had forced on me so haz-
ardous a ride. But twice a thrill of
terror ran through me as the trunk
tilted over to n side and threatened
to pitch MI down.
Yet it must be remembered that all
this took place in, at the most, three
seconds.
Now l vas not a foot from the other
bank when the beam gave u third
over. l leaned again to the other
side. This time in vain.
Before I well knew 1t 1 was falling.
I made a wild spring toward the
bank. Fortune favored me. I landed
On my face in a cluster Of bramble
bushes.