Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1912-08-22
.PERILOUS FISHING.
A Midwinter Adventure on the Ice
In Lake Michigan.
TWO SURPRISES AND A FIGHT.
First the Lone Hunter Was Startled by
the Ice Going Out and Then by the
Intrusion Of Trcacherous Visitor.
The Battle and tho Rescue.

A few years ago. in the dead Of win.
ter. Or NJ. A. Leach was out on Lake
Michigan in friends hut, fishing
through the ice Everything was pro-
cev,ing .lerrily when. says the doctor:
'.lhere came sudden report. sound
inp Ike thunder. The ice was going!
u rushed outside. but the snow was
b..ndilig. and could not even see the
shore lire. All around the thunderous
reports We're sounding and the ice was
auivering strangely. was frightened
bnt as there was no help for 1t went
buck to the hut.
This WAS about noon. noticed, to
E,y relief, that there We're no cracks
coming beneath the hut, so that If the
ice did 20 out should at least be on
big cake for time. The big cakes
do not last very long in Lake M. hi
gam could not tell what WAS hap
l,rning outside. for the Wild was
shrieling and bowling horribly. and
every few seconds TIE ] g would split
with rcsounding crush. So. for lack
OF something better to do. arranged
a frying pan had over the little stove.
and to keep up my food supply start
ed frying some fish In few minutes
the place was filled With II most APP
petiZing odor, which. presume, had
something to do with what followed
First of all ! heard series OF
low whines outside: then something
scratched at the door. opened it In
alnazcment. thinking that some dog
had perhaps been lost on the ice and
had found my hut To my surprise,
however. II great unkcmpt animal en-
tered and fawned about my feet. lick
ing my boots. and. although had new
or seen one. knew that it was Il gray
Wolf. The animal seemed terrified be-
yond measure and showed no sigr
whatever of wiidncss"
AS the doctor had no other weapon
than his knife and ii frozen fishing
line. he was i'm II qanndary. But the
wolf seemed lonely and showed n
strong desire to make himself Mt home.
SO they spent the night quite charm
inlly together The next morning to
hear what the doctor says
II awoke to find the sun up. the day
bright and clear and the land four or
five miles west of us. All around float
led cakes of ice, going the same way
rs ourselves In the grip of some cur
rent My fears passed away with the
bright sunlight. and used up my last
| wood in cooking some fish for the
Wolf. while | finished the basket of
| provisions
$50 the Wolf and | went out in the
sunshine. and now the animal grew
surly and no longer Welcomed my APP
proachcs However. s;lw Il dot NOV
ing among he lie and us it neared
slw that il WIS Il fish Io'it. doubtless
with rescue party ca board And
:,oW came the most surprising part OF
my adventure
"i'lle ho;,t WAS ;lhont half Il mile
DISSENT. and the orcupnnts having seen
me and waved 10 NE St;irte To make
their way tlArpn4,l tl.e Ennt!ng ice !
saw the wolf W;,.iehln: them with biS
thing hair. ard suddenly he turned to
me with II icM gluw | offered him
IL bit of fish. but lie took no notice. and
| ! began to fear hat he realized that
my rescue would not include his At
any rate. he drew back Il few steps.
| his eyes fixed on mine: then. with a
quick movement. he splang ut me
II had no weapon except Il short
knife, which was closed All could
do WAS to jump aside. hitting him with
my fist as he missed me, an old box
| that savage side slash of the great
| teeth, and when the animal gained his
| feet and turned to fly at ne again my
| hand WAS streaming with blood from
| IL small cash | heard shouts froM the
| approaching fish boat, but as the par
| ty were unarlncd they could not help
| me-
Immediately upon getting his bal.
| ance on the snow the wolf came to-
ward me slowly and sprang again.
| This time ! was really frightened, ana
with a wild idea OF holding him away
Till my friends could assist me met
him halfway. grnspcd his throat in
both hands. and we both fell to the
snow together, for the impact of his
leap was tremendous. hung ON to his
| throat; but, although ] kept the gleam-
| Ing teeth Off, ! could not hold his feet
He struck at me savagely with his
hind paws. the sharp claws tearing
through my coat like knives. and ]
realized my danger just in time to
east myself backward. Instantly the
wolf returned to the attack, and this
time the look in his face frightened me
SO that did not wait for him. whip
ped my coat away and threw 1t in his
face. then turned and, running to the
side of the ice cake, leaped into the
water.
II am good swimmer, and the boat
was only 100 feet distant, so in no time
was aboard and getting into warm
clothes. The engine was stopped. and
we lay there watching the wolf lie
seemed puzzled at my disappearance,
running backward and forward OH the
ice. Then he looked at the boat and
howled dismally. None of the men
liked to attack him with knives for
their only weapons, and so presently
the boat was turned about, and we
threaded our way out from the ice to
the free water Behind us the lonely
wolf sat watching us disappear and
slowly, hopelessly, floated onward to
his doom. Wide World Magazine.
Never can fell whom vnu'|