Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-03-25
Alistellanrous 8eadins.
AN EXPERIENCE WITH WOLVES
Minnesota Trapper Has an Exciting
Time of It.

~ from the CaleuOnlan NUM- lo liie
wild ride of Elienne Gerard after the
Englishman's fox, but not a hunter OF
them all ever had as unique or thrilling
an experience as fell to the lot of JOS
eph Walker son of a homesteader on
the shore Of Burnside lake.
Others may have done much with
spear and horse and hound. but 1t Is
not yet written that any of them hung
at the flying traces of the noble game
at the heels of a pack Of wolves, with
an iceboat for steed.
| That was what Joe" did, according
to the story he told when he came to
Duluth to market the furs he has been
trapping since the beginning Of winter.
Walker, who is an athletic youth of
IS, is a great lover of the woods and
outdoor life in general When the
| frost and snow make it impossible for
him to work on his fathers farm he
follows the life Of trapper. There
are lots of fur animals in the swamps
and tnickets around Burnside lake.
and there Is not a spot which they fire.
quent that is not known to the young
woodsman. This beautiful lake has a
long shore line, and in past winters
Joe" has had hard work visiting his
| traps on foot. This style of travel is
so laborious and slow, in fact, that he
was unable to work more than a small
portion of the territory. Under these
circumstances the richest part Of the
furry spoil escaped him, for animals
do not multiply or the supply remain
great where there is a constant war
fare against them.
This situation set Joe" to thinking.
Last year he tried to cover more ground
on skates. This gave him a greater
range in visiting his traps, once they
were set out, but it was even more ar
duous than the old way when it came
to carrying home the animals he had
taken. So this year he decided to
build an iceboat. These are the fleetest
craft that man knows anything about.
In a good wind, with a fair spread of
sail, one of them will cover sixty miles
an hour and go along at fifteen to
twenty when there is hardly move
ment of the atmosphere.
| When Walker took his boat out af-
ter the lake froZe over in the early
winter he was more than delighted
He could reach any point on the shore
line in a few minutes and visit his
traps at pleasure. When there was a
load to carry it was dumped in the
boat and gave no more trouble.
So easy did his work become that he
devoted most of his time to sailing for
pleasure, and when he went out in the
evening to see that his traps and .snares
were all right he generally picked up a
boy or girl at neighboring homestead
to accompany him.
| When he set sail the other evening
he steered for the home of John Lahti,
on the shore about three miles away,
and took Mary, the 16-year-old daugh-
ter of tine homesteader aboard. After
visiting the hunting grounds they de-
cided to remain on the lake for an hour
or two, as it was a beautiful evening
with just enough wind to make the
sailing worth while.
| They raced almost the length Of the
beautiful sheet of water several times
without incident. The stars were shin
ing, and time passed so pleasantly and
rapidly that they did not realize its
flight until it was nearly 10 o'clock.
Then they decided to run for home.
They were about eight miles from
Walkers hut that distance doesn't
count much with an iceboat, even II
the wind is light, as in the present case,
for it had gone down considerably
since the sun set.
| Walker turned the bowsprit toward
home and they were just getting under
way when there was a cOmmOtion in
the woods on the nearby shore, and a
great buck deer, evidently flying for his
| life, dashed onto the ice not two hun
dred feet away. Walker was so sur
prised by the appearance of the ami
mai that he lost control of the boat
which swung into the wind and came
to standstill. He was intently
watching the animal, which was disap-
pearing down the lake, making good
time. for there was about an inch OF
snow on the surface in which he could
get a good foothold, when his cOmpan-
ion cried out to him that a pack of
wolves was coming out of the trees.
This new development aroused him
to activity, and with short pike pole
which he carried aboard he skidded the
boat around so that the sail caught the
wind. He swept away from the spot.
and the bruteS which caused the girl
so much terror were soon so distant
that even her fears were allayed. Then
he directed his attention to the wolves.
"Tney circled around on the ice for
q few seconds" he said, before they
caught sight Of the deer, which was
| fast putting distance between himself
and his enemies. With a wild howl,
| they gallOped off on his track and left
us far behind. Miss Lahti was thank
| full enough. and | did not regret being
rid of their presence, and for the mo-
mcnt cared little to be nearer them,
but as the hunt went away from me
the sight and the unusual circum-
stances aroused my sporting blood ana
swung the head of the boat down the
lake after them. The girl protested,
but | assured her there was no dam
ger. as the animals were not fast
enough to catch us if they tried, and
they would probably be more afraid of
us than the buck was of them II they
should look back and see the big white
sail chasing them.
We'll, that was the most exciting
and enjoyable race | ever ran or expect
To run. The wolves had start of sew
cral hundred yards before we went al
ter them, and the deer was about two
hundred yards ahead of the leader OF
the pack. and seemed to be gaining. Tor
the lake gave him clear sweep. and
he kept close to the shore, where there
| was enough snow Ia give him sure
| fnptinp