The daily Alaskan., 1913-02-20
WOLVES IN RUSSIA
Daring erutes That Attack Trav'
 eIers on the Steppes.
EXCITING BATTLE AT NIGHT.

Psrilous Plight of a Sleigh Party That
 Was Surrounded and Set Upon by
 Pack of the Fsroeious and Farnishsd
 Anlmals-A Timely Rescue.
 There are sHll wolves on the steppes of Russia and pretty ferocious ones at that, as appears from this story sent to a Swedish paper by one of lts core spondents. who was travelling a win ter or two ago through the wastes or what was formerly known as Lithu- ania
 It was a bright, frosty winter day. The snow was excellent and the mall sleigh glided forward at great speed A trolka with three Poles in it follow ed behind. Toward sunset we emerg- ed from the dark pine woods upon tbe steppe. which stretched away in front of us as far as the eye could reach.
 Soon the stars made thelr appear ance. and the moon rose. It was bit- terly cold. and the snow cracked De- meath the runners. The horses breath rose in the alr Ike thick smoke, The soncs and shouts of the Poles died away. and profound silence reigned
 Suddenly one of the horses wblnuied, then another, and a third shied yio. Iently. utterlug that terrible cry or which the horse is capable only when fin extreme fear. could see by the Night of the moon the shadow ot an animal about the size of dog dlttlng over the frozen surface of a marsh pool which lay some twenty paces from us on one side of the road.
 No animal can travel more silently than a wolf when ln search of prey, and none can attack 30 suddenly and unexpectedly. was slowly raising my gun when a second wolf rose i'm. mediately in front of the horses with crest erect and green, phospnorescent eyes. At the same tune points of light appeared all over the mere, and 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 troika Then from the mail sleigh discharged both barrels of my gun. and a savage howl announced that they had taken effect Two of the most daring of our assail- ants lay rolling ln the snow.
 The three Poles kept firing furiously' although the attnck 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 he dealt tremendous blows,
 The horses struggled madly and tried with an 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 yeI behind us.
 The three Poles were rolling in the snow by the side Of their overturned sleigh. Lescek's badly driven horses bad torn themselves loose from the roika in their terror, aud 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 tbelr death screams were terrible. The Poles wal lowed about in the snow shouting, weeping and iameutlng by turns.
 Their situation was, indeed, sufh' cIentIv serious. for only Lescek had had enough presence of mind to hide himself beneutb the sleigh, and the mall driver and |, surrounded by wolves, could give them no help. ] looked upon them as doomed and felt sure that we should quickly share their fate.
 Suddenly our pursucrs disappeared, and although bleeding badly, the horses became Calmer The gleaming eyes Of the wolves were seen only here and there ont on the steppe A shot rang out then a volley. succeeded by yeIs Of pain dozen dead wolves lay on the ground. and two huge beasts actually expired beneath the hOofs of the horses as our fesCuefs ehlhe up iu their tinkllng slelghs
 It was landed proprietor with his servants whose solitary farm lay only a couple Of versts away. None of us was dangerously wounded The wolves bad treated tbe Poles worst, for their clothes were nearly torn from fhoIr bodIas They were bitten, too. but not seriously
 The following morning our host, Herr StansN, came across the skeletons of the three troiEa horses scarcely half a verst from the scene of our strug- gle The poor creatures were stil bound together with the harness. What our own fate would have been were it pot for our timely rescue, Is not hard A 4.H fHnn