Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-02-20

Pack Of the Fcrocious and Famishsd
AnimaIs-A Timely Rescue.
There are still wolves on the stcppeS
Of Russia and pretty ferocious ones ut
that, us appears from this story sent
to a Swedish paper by one of its CORE
spondentS. who was travelling Il win
ter or two ago through the wastes or
what was formerly known as lithu-
ania.
1t was Il bright. frosty winter day.
The snow was excellent, and the mail
sleigh glidcd forward at great speed.
A troik:i with three Poles In it follow
ed behind. Toward sunset we emcrg-
ed from the dark pine woods, upon the
steppc, which stretched away in front
of US as far as the eye could reach.
Soon the stars made their appear
ance. and the moon rose. 1T was DIT
terly cold, and the cracked be-
Meath the unner The horses breath
rose in the air like thick smoke. The
songs and shouts of the Poles died
away, and profound silence rcigncu.
Suddenly one of the horses whinnicd,
then another. and Il third SHE'D VIC
lently, uttering that terrible cry or
which the horse is capable only when
in extreme fear. | could G by the
light Of the moon the shadow OF an
animal about the size Of Il dog fitting
over the frozen surface of Il marsh
pool which lay some twenty PAGES
from us on one side Of the road.
No animal a travel more silently
than a wolf when in search of prey.
and nOnc can attack so suddenly ana
unexpectedly. | WAS slowly raising
my gun when II second wolf rose i'm
mediately in front Of the horses with
crest erect and green. phosphoreSccnt
eyes. At the same time points or
light appeared all over the mere, ana
the bowling of the beasts rang out.
A shot was fired. Revolver in hand,
Lescek. one of the Poles, stood on the
driving seat Of the troilia. Then from
the. mail sleigh | discharged both
barrels Of my gun. and Il savage now
announced that they had taken effect.
Two of the most daring Of u assall-
ants lay rolling in the snow.
The three Poles kept firing furionsly,
although the attack of the wolves was
directed more against III 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 he dealt tremendous blows.
The horses struggled madly and tried
with All their strength to break TIT
harness. At each shot from my gun
| the wolves scattered. only to c0llec
| again immediately and renew their NJ
tack on, the horses. Suddenly there
arose Il wild yell behind us.
The three Poles were rolling III the
srow bv the side Of their overturned
| sleigh. Lesrck'S badly driven horses
had torn themselves loose from the
troika in their terror. and were career
ing wildly over the snow covered
| stcppc. pursued by some of the wolves.
They were soon pulled down. and IN
thc Stiffness Of the night their death
screams were terrible. The Poles wal
lowed about in the snow shouting,
wrrpiny and l%anlcnling by turns.
Their situation was. indeed. suiii-
! GENTLY serious. for only lcscck had
had enough presence Of mind to hide
| himself beneath The sleigh, and the
nail driver and ], surrounded 10y
wolves. could give them no help. !
looked ,pon them as doomed and felt
sure that we should quickly STARE Their
fate. l.
Suddenly our purSucrs disappeared,
and although blccdin" badly, the
horses became calmcr. The cleaning
eyes of the wolves were seen only here
and there out on the Steppe. a shot
| rang out. then 4 volley. succeeded by
wells Of pain. A dozen dead wolves
| law on the ground. and two huge beasts
actually expired beneath the loofs OF
the horses as our rcScuers came up in
their tinkling sIeighs.
II was a landed proprietor with his
servants whose solitary farm lay only
Il couple of verSts away. None OF
us 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 across the skeletons OF
the three troika horses scarcely half
Il ycrst from the Gene of II strug-
Gle. The poor creatures We're still!
bound together with the harness. What
our own fate would have been were it
not for our timely rescue, is not hard
to imagine. The thought Of it makes
me shldder to this day.
Followed Mammals Advice.
"Did he kiss you when you accepted
him.
L -.~g IL.E- . - L 4 -. ~ s-H #." L-