The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1907-11-23
WOLVES SAVED MANS LIFE
HOlSTED INTENDED VICTIM INTO
: BRANCHES OF A TALL #:
~ TREE =. =:
Remarkable Experience Of Pennsyl-
vania Man Who Was Surrounded by
Wolves and How Escaped at tho
Sacrifice Of His Dog.

Sacrince OF His Dog.
Erasmus Hultwa1e of Dumber bought
dog last week at Claytown, ten miles
from here, and on asking the owner
for a rope with which to lead the
animal home received the reply that
there was no rope on the place.
On investigation this proved to be
almost, but not quite, true, for, al
though there was no short rope, a
long, new clothes line presented itself
and was taken down and one end tied
to the dog, Erasmus promising to see
that the line was returned in time
TO rthe next Mondays wash.
Erasmus was much vexed at being
compelled to walk off through the
woods on his homeward way holding
large and inconvenient coil of rope
in his hands, but there was no help
for it, and he made the best of it.
The way was long, and ere half the
journey was finished night overlook
him, and it was quite dark beneath
the trees, the only light coming from
the moon, which, half full, filtered
dim CLEAN through the sheltering
branches.
Soon, to the alarm of the traveller,
he heard an ominous howl not far
away, and this was answered from
another direction, and in few mo-
ments still other savage calls came
down the wind, and before he had
fully realized his danger he was near
| ly surrounded by wolves, which had
gathered together to make meal Of
him unless he could find some way Of
| escaping them.
There were no trees that he could
climb, and, as he had no weapon, he
ran for his life, the dog, itself terribly
| frightened, doing him valiant service
by running ahead and pulling vigor-
| ously at the rope. On sped the fright
ened man, straining every nerve to
reach some place of safety, but the
savage and treacherous animals, gain
ing courage as their numbers in
creased, pressed ever nearer and near
er, threatening soon to end the race
and the runners life.
| AT last he could run no more and,
stopping beneath the spreading
branches of a huge elm, and, placing
his back against the stem of the tree,
he drew from his pocket his clasp
knife and resolved to sell his life as
dearly as might be.
| Round him ragged the savage wolves,
| coming ever nearer and nearer, and,
as they pressed about him, he cast
his eyes up to the branches above,
hoping that there might be one low
| enough so that he could reach. it by
| leaping.
| Vain hope! There was none nearer
than twelve feet above the ground
Suddenly he bethought him of the
rope in his hands, and, dashing at the
wolves with loud yell, he frightened
them back a few feet and then, ;whirl=
ing the coil around his head, he cast
it successfully over the limb nearest
to him and as the end fell to the
ground again he seized both strands
in his hands and tried to climb up.
All in vain! He could not raise him.
self a foot
In his excitement and despair he
momentarily forgot the wolves, and
as soon as his eye ceased to daunt
them several of them sprang forward
at the same time that he leaped into
the, air and, directing their attention
to the shivering and whimpering dog,
they seized upon it and drew it away
from the tree, and then, aided by a
dozen others that sprang forward to
partake of the FEAST they dragged
their victim with them, fighting and
snarling as they snapped and tore at
its form.
/ Their combined strength was thus
fastened upon the dog, and, as they
drew him from the tree the end Of
of the rope, which was tied to him
was also drawn along, and as the
other end began to mount into the air
the delighted Erasmus seized hold of
1t and was thus drawn swiftly aloft
by the wolves till he reached the
branch, upon which he then perched
and was safe, although the ravening
wolves, their appetites merely sharp
ened by the tidbit of the dog, remained
beneath the tree all the long hours OF
the night and till morning light drove
them away. ;,
Scab Workman.