AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



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too great for him to overcome, no danger so formidable but 

 he would face it, and he was as fearless of the consequences 

 of attacking the most ferocious animals, as though they 

 were but sheep; and hence, in the present difficult under- 

 taking, he never uttered a discouraging word, and so intent 

 was he on the destruction of this Wolf, that no reward 

 would have made him relinquish the chase. 



We were satisfied that this animal was so tired, that he 

 could not travel at night in search of food, especially as he 

 was leading off from the places of his former depredations 

 towards the Susquehannah, and it was evident, by the re- 

 peated beds he made in the snow, where he had thrown him- 

 self down for momentary repose, that he could not sustain 

 the chase much longer; he, however, soon changed his course, 

 and turned in the direction of the river Delaware again. 



The way before us now, was down the mountain's side, 

 through a clear open wood, on a regular descent as far as 

 the eye could reach, and at least twelve miles; my regular 

 jumps were about eight feet; after running this distance, I 

 saw the Wolf, just as I approached another hill, but too far 

 from me to do execution, and had there been two miles 

 more of this open wood, he certainly would have fallen a 

 victim to our rifles. 



But ascending the hill he gained on us, and being sensi- 

 ble that our footsteps were retarded, he would drop him- 

 self in the snow every few paces, and get some rest. On 

 the hill he entered another windfall, around which he took 

 several turns, and although we waylaid him again, yet he 

 slipped off and made for a thicket about three miles further 

 on. He was but a short distance from us, and W — and 

 myself pressed on with greater speed, in order, if possible, 

 to overtake him before he could reach this thicket, but in 

 spite of all our efforts he succeeded without our once seeing 

 him. W — then took the lead, and says he, " if we can 

 but get him out of this thicket before dark, he is a dead 

 Wolf, but we must crowd him hard before night." Be- 

 fore us lay a large mountain, which we knew bordered on 

 the river Delaware, and close to a small place called Dick- 

 inson's city, and which consisted of four log houses, hav- 

 ing derived its name from some early settlers; this was 

 twelves miles distant from our village Deposit. The Wolf 

 run this thicket for two miles and crossed a creek called 

 Trout brook, then the road which leads to Walton, and 

 went up the aforesaid mountain; when we came to the 

 road we met Mr. Mossman, who informed us that he saw 

 the Wolf pass just before him, and ascend the mountain, 

 and that he was but two minutes ahead of us. It being so 

 dark, we gave up the chase for the day, and went down to 

 Dickinson city. Here, at a public house kept by Jesse 

 Gilbert, we received a very comfortable repast, indeed, 

 exceeding our expectations. About five miles from this 

 S 



place, lived one Derrick Brewer, and much celebrated as a 

 great runner, and huntsman; him, therefore, we deter- 

 mined to have, if possible, to join us for the next day's 

 hunt; we, accordingly, gave a man a handsome reward, and 

 despatched him express after Brewer, with a request for 

 him to meet us at Dickinson before day light: we then 

 retired to rest, and rose before dawn of day much refreshed, 

 and with better feelings, but somewhat sorer than the day 

 previous. Brewer was ready, and after we eat a slight 

 breakfast, (in which B. refused to join us) we started. It 

 appears that this hunter would lace himself with a belt, and 

 never eat until about nine o'clock, while we would not clog 

 nature, and eat continually, but very slightly, which kept 

 up a constant stimulus in our systems, as we always carried 

 biscuit or doe-nuts with us sufficient to last the day. See- 

 ing the manner Brewer treated himself, W — says to him, 

 " you must not take it amiss that if you do not eat break- 

 fast, I tell you, you will not be able to keep up with us." 

 "Well," saj's Brewer, "two o'clock will decide that." 

 By the time it was fairly light, we were at the spot where 

 we had left him the night previous, and we had not pro- 

 ceeded more than three hundred yards up the hill, before 

 we found his bed; this he had left of his own accord, and 

 walked to the top of the hill, which was about a mile and a 

 half to the summit, and then took to another road which 

 led direct to Walton, and continued until he came close to 

 Judge Pines' farm, a distance of fifteen miles, where he had 

 a few weeks previous killed so many sheep, and there at 

 the foot of another hill he had reposed for the remainder 

 of the night. We soon aroused him, and he took directly 

 up this hill, which was exceedingly steep, but up which 

 we clambered, with slow progress, until we gained the 

 top. We had walked fifteen miles, and as I was first on 

 the summit of the hill, I looked down and saw W — about 

 thirty yards from me, and Brewer fifty behind him. The 

 Wolf kept his course on the brow of that hill for three miles, 

 and then left it and crossed the road which leads from Wal- 

 ton to Franklin, on the Susquehannah, here I stopped and 

 waited for my companions. W — was immediately by my 

 side, but Brewer, on whom we depended so much, came 

 up puffing and blowing; saj'S W — , " he is out of breath, 

 his lacing wont do, he must give nature its bounds." 

 The wood before us was open for six miles, and gradually 

 ascending, but not so much as to prevent our taking rapid 

 strides; as I neared the top I slacked for W — to come up, 

 but Brewer was not in sight, and we expected he had 

 given up and returned home. "Now," says W — , "if 

 the Wolf keeps this course, we will have a regular descent 

 for nine miles." I then started at full speed, guarding 

 always against jumping into holes, (in which case, proba- 

 bly, my legs would have been broken,) until I came within 



