AT THE MERCY OF WOLVES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12818, 18 March 1905, Page 2 (Supplement)

AT THE MERCY OF WOLVES.

TRAVELLER'S TERRIBLE JOURNEY. Few men could go unharmed through the terrible experiences which recently befell Mr. M. A. Mahoney, of Fairbanks, Alaska, near Dawson City, on the Yukon River.

Mr. Mahoriey brought out with him from Fairbanks to Seattle, ip the ''Washington State, the body of the late ex-Mayor'of the latter city, Mr. Humes. Placing the corpse on a sleigh drawn by ten dogs, ho set off alone on the trail for Valdez, on the Pacific side of Alaska. . .'$

After two days' travelling he was attack- - ed by timber-wolves, who made a deter-. mined assault on him and his dogs. That : night the lonely traveller kindled ■ a huge; fire, drew the coffin containing the corpse as close to the blaze as he could, and, seating himself upon it, kept an all-night vigil, watching intently the slinking grey forms | of the beasts in the shadows and the gleam- | ing of their eves in the firelight. M Unluckily for him, the Yukon-Yaldez trail is not much frequented, and he met no one ; during his long journey. The next night he had to go through the same ordeal, the v big tire being the only protection from the g ravening pack which snapped and howled round the little camp. On the third morning, through sheer exhaustion, he fell asleep, but was awakened by feeling the paws of a : wolf on his breast. Instantly he was on his ~ feet, snatched a burning brand from the . fire, and waved it round his head, thus driv- || ing away the beast. The following night matters reached a , climax. The lonely man was utterly worn , out, and could hardly keep his eyes open even by the. strongest effort of will. He '' had eaten nothing since the early morning, while the disappointed wolves had become ;. much bolder, um' even as the weary travel-. m ler sipped tea out of his pannikin one ot M the leaders of the pack sprang at the colli"--. Ml. Mahoney was obliged to leave bis sup-.-per unfinished and begin a fight with the wolves that lasted all night. With flaming .; pine braches full of resin, he stabbed and••;• thrust at the faces of his . foes all night ■■■.. long. ; Once he caught himself actually falling asleep on his feet, clutching the flaming /-, wood bayonet-fashion while a dozen of the '.' grey brutes raced madly around him snap-.,.; ping at the end of the torch. Several times •■',..' by a dexterous thrust he managed to plunge ■ hi? burning spear into the eye or down the ■.: throat of some unwary wolf. * Half mail with .:.; hunger, want of sleep, and fear, the unfor- :■:■■ tunate man contrived once more to harness ... tip his team at daybreak, and' at noon after :;■:: three days' continuous fighting reached » ;| house some miles out of Yaldez, After: - ■;, eighteen hours' sleep -Mi - ; Mahoney ip a ;.',o himself none the worse for his terrible jof'-. ~;. ney except that his hair had turned P art *" . ; ; U ally grey from the awful strain of thrlM*; , three days.. '■' ->-..■■■■