ADVENTURES IN TflE BACKWOODS. 289 



heard of persons being pursued, or hunted, as the Ame- 

 ricans call it, by a number of wolves, but in all such 

 cases 'the individuals were on horseback ; and therefore 

 the probability is, that the wolves pursued the horses, 

 and not the men. However, from the facts I am about 

 to relate, it would seem otherwise. 



A medical gentleman, residing not far from the Che- 

 nmng river, a tributary of the noble Susquehanna. had, 

 one night in the middle of winter, been visiting a sick 

 person at a distance of eight or ten miles from his own 

 house. The country in that vicinity was then quite new, 

 and but very few settlers had encroached on the abori- 

 nal forests. The doctor had been accustomed for some 

 years, to travel through those wild regions at all seasons, 

 and at all hours, by day and by night, but never had 

 been in any way molested ; nor had he ever had the 

 slightest apprehension of danger from the wolves that 

 were known occasionally to inhabit the surrounding 

 woods. On the night in question, he set off homeward 

 at a late hour, as he frequently had been wont to do ; 

 but before he ha/1 proceeded far, he became aware of his 

 being pursued by a gang of wolves. The nigh't was ex- 

 ceedingly frosty, but clear and star-light. For awhile 

 they were only heard at a distance, but. by-and-by the 

 doctor could clearly distinguish five .or -six of them in 

 full chase within less than twenty rods of him. The 

 snow being pretty deep at the time, he found it was im- 

 possible to leave them, so he made up his mind to quit 

 his horse, and ascend the first tree which appeared fa- 

 vorable for such a purpose. It was not long before 



such a one offered, and, permitting his horse to go at 

 19 



