The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1913-03-15
WOLVES IN RUSSIA
Daring Brutes That Attack Tray-
eIers on the Steppes.
EXCITING BATTLE At NIGHT.

EXCITING BATTLE AT NIGHT.
Pseilsus Plight q sleigh Party That
Was Surrounded and Get Upon BY .
Pack Of the esreeieus snd Famishsd
AnimaIs-A Timely Rescue.
There are still wolves on the steppes
of Russia and pretty ferocious ones At
that. as appears from this story sent
to Swedish paper by ono Of its CORE
spondents. who was travelling q WIN
ter or two ago through the wastes Of
what was formerly known ~ Lithu-
ania.
1t was a bright. frosty winter day.
The snow was excellent, and the mail
sleigh glided forward at great speed.
A trolka with three Poles in 1t follow
ed behind. Toward sunset we emery
ed from the dark pine woods upon the
steppe, which stretched away In front
Of us as far a. the eye could reach.
Soon the stars made their appear
ance. and the moon rose. II was bit
terry cold. and the snow cracked BE-
meath the runners. The horses breath
rose In the air like thick smoke. The
songs and shouts Of the Poles died
away. and profound silence reigned
Suddenly one OF the horses whinnied.
then another. and a third SHE'D vio-
Ientiy, uttering that terrible cry Of
which the .horye II capable only when
In extreme fear. could see BY the
light Of tho moon the shadow Of an
animal about the size Of dog nitting
over the frozen surface OF q marsh
pool which lay some twenty PAGES
from u on one side Of the road.
No animal can travel more silently
than a wolf when in search of prey.
and none can attack 10 suddenly and
unexpectedly. was slowly raising
my gun when q second wolf rose i'm
mediateiy in front Of the horses with
crest erect and green. phosphorescent
eyes. At the same time points OF
light appeared all over the mere. and
the bowling Of the beasts rang out
A shot was nred. Revolver In hand.
Lescek. one Of the Poles. stood on the
driving seat Of the troika. Then from
the mail Aleigh l discharged both
barrels Of my gun. and savage howl
announced that they had taken effect
Two Of the most daring Of our assail-
ants lay rolling In the snow.
The three Poles kept 0ring furiously.
although the attack Of the wolves was
directed more against our sleigh. prob
ably because It was drawn BY double
the number Of horses. Our driver had
no other weapon than his loaded whip.
but with It be dealt tremendous blows
The horses struggled madly and tried
with all their strength to break the
harness. At each shot from my gun
the wolves scattered. only to collect
again Immediately and renew their at.
tack on the horses Suddenly there
arose a wild yell behind us.
The three Poles were rolling in the
snow by the side Of their overturned
sleigh. Lescek's badly driven horses
had torn themselves loose from the
troika in their terror. and were career
ing wildly over the snow covered
'steppe. pursued BY some Of the wolves.
They were soon pulled down. and In
the stiffness Of the night their death
screams were terrible. The Poles wal.
lowed about In the snow shouting.
weeping and lainenting BY turns.
Their situation was. indeed. sum
GENTLY serious. for only Lescek had
bad enough presence of mind to hide
himself beneath the sleigh. and the
mail driver AND l. surrounded BY
wolves. could give them no help.
looked upon them AZ doomed and felt
sure that We should quickly share their
fate.
Suddenly our pursuers disappeared.
and although bleeding badly. the
horses became calmer The cleaning
eyes of the wolves were seen only hero
and there out on the steppe. A shot
rang out. then volley. succeeded by
yells of pain dozen dead wolves
lay on the ground. and two huge beasts
actually expired beneath the hoo1s Of
the horses as our rescuers came up In
their tinklilg slcighs
It was landed proprietor with his
servants whose solitary farm lay only
a couple OF versts away. None Of
rs WAS dangerously wounded The
wolves had treated the Poles worst.
for their clothes were nearly torn from
their bodies They were bitten. too.
but not seriously.
The following morning our host. Herr
Stanski. came scroes the skeletons Of
the three troika horses scarcely half
verst from tho scene Of our strug-
gle The poor creatures were still
bound together with the harness. What
our own fate would have been were It
not for our timely rescue, II not hard
to imagine. The thought Of II makes
me shudder to this day.
Followed Mammals Advice.
''Did he kiss you when you accepted
him?'