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 woods, 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 
twelve 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 arose 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,” says 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 a 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; Says 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 
