Harper's New Monthly Magazine: No. XVI.—September, 1851—Vol. III.Various
History
Harper's New Monthly Magazine: No. XVI.—September, 1851—Vol. III.
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
One of my neighbors related, in substance, the following incidents: "A
short time since," said he, "while passing along the shores of
Mattawamkeag River in the winter, my attention was suddenly attracted by
a distant howling and screaming--a noise which might remind one of the
screeching of forty pair of old cart-wheels (to use the figure of an old
hunter in describing the distant howling of a pack of wolves). Presently
there came dashing from the forest upon the ice, a short distance from
me, a timid deer, closely pursued by a hungry pack of infuriated wolves.
I stood and observed them. The order of pursuit was in single file,
until they came quite near their prey, when they suddenly branched off
to the right and left, forming two lines; the foremost gradually closed
in upon the poor deer, until he was completely surrounded, when,
springing upon their victim, they instantly bore him to the ice, and in
an incredibly short space of time devoured him, leaving the bones only;
after which they galloped into the forest and disappeared." On the same
river a pack of these prowling marauders were seen just at night,
trailing along down the river on the ice. A family living in a log house
near by happened to have some poison, with which they saturated some
bits of meat, and then threw them out upon the ice. Next morning early
the meat was missing, and, on making a short search in the vicinity, six
wolves were found "dead as hammers," all within sight of each other.
Every one of them had dug a hole down through the snow into the frozen
earth, in which they had thrust their noses, either for water to quench
the burning thirst, or to snuff some antidote to the fatal drug. A
bounty was obtained on each of ten dollars, besides their hides, making
a fair job of it, as well as ridding the neighborhood of an annoying
enemy. The following account of a wolf chase will interest the reader:
"During the winter of 1844, being engaged in the northern part of Maine,
I had much leisure to devote to the wild sports of a new country. To
none of these was I more passionately addicted than that of skating. The
deep and sequestered lakes of this northern state, frozen by intense
cold, present a wide field to the lovers of this pastime. Often would I
bind on my rusty skates, and glide away up the glittering river, and
wind each mazy streamlet that flowed on toward the parent ocean, and
feel my very pulse bound with joyous exercise. It was during one of
these excursions that I met with an adventure which, even at this period
of my life, I remember with wonder and astonishment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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