“We were lumbering at the head of Stony Lake, about eight miles from
here, my four brothers, myself, and several other hands. The winter was
long and severe; although it was the first week in March, there was not
the least appearance of a thaw, and the ice on these lakes was as
firm as ever. I had been sent home to fetch a yoke of oxen to draw the
saw-logs down to the water, our chopping being all completed, and the
logs ready for rafting.
“I did not think it necessary to encumber myself with my rifle, and was,
therefore, provided with no weapon of defence but the long gad I used
to urge on the cattle. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when
I rounded Sandy Point, that long point which is about a mile ahead of us
on the left shore, when I first discovered that I was followed, but at
a great distance, by a large wolf. At first, I thought little of the
circumstance, beyond a passing wish that I had brought my gun. I knew
that he would not attack me before dark, and it was still two long hours
to sundown; so I whistled, and urged on my oxen and soon forgot the
wolf--when, on stopping to repair a little damage to the peg of the
yoke, I was surprised to find him close at my heels. I turned, and ran
towards him, shouting as loud as I could, when he slunk back, but showed
no inclination to make off. Knowing that he must have companions near,
by his boldness, I shouted as loud as I could, hoping that my cries
might be heard by my brothers, who would imagine that the oxen had got
into the ice, and would come to my assistance. I was now winding my way
through the islands in Stony Lake; the sun was setting red before me,
and I had still three miles of my journey to accomplish. The wolf had
become so impudent that I kept him off by pelting him with snowballs;
and once he came so near that I struck him with the gad. I now began
to be seriously alarmed, and from time to time shouted with all my
strength; and you may imagine my joy when these cries were answered by
the report of a gun. My brothers had heard me, and the discharge of a
gun, for a moment, seemed to daunt the wolf. He uttered a long howl,
which was answered by the cries of a large pack of the dirty brutes from
the wood. It was only just light enough to distinguish objects, and I
had to stop and face my enemy, to keep him at bay.
“I saw the skeleton forms of half-a-dozen more of them slinking among
the bushes that skirted a low island; and tired and cold, I gave myself
and the oxen up for lost, when I felt the ice tremble on which I stood,
and heard men running at a distance. 'Fire your guns!' I cried out, as
loud as I could. My order was obeyed, and such a yelling and howling
immediately filled the whole forest as would have chilled your very
heart. The thievish varmints instantly fled away into the bush.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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