From the Boston Transcript.
Along the line of the Grand Trunk Railroad, between the Island Pond station and the French Village of Conticook, in Canada, a distance of 18 miles, the country is an almost unbroken forest, and wild animals are frequently seen beside the road staring in wonder at the passing train, while deer, foxes, lynxes, and wolves often bound across the rails in front of the locomotive. Some years since the latter animals were remarkably plenty, sometimes appearing in droves of a dozen or twenty.
One evening, late in the autumn, a young man had occasion to pass along this lonesome way on foot, and had not accomplished more than half the distance when he heard a crackling in the bushes at the side of the track, denoting the presence of some wild animal. Thinking to frighten the creature he threw a stone towards the place where it appeared to be. This was answered by a howl from the wolf, for such it was, and what added to the discomfort of the situation various other howls were echoed and re-echoed by wolves from all sides, and they soon began to close in around the now thoroughly frightened man, who started to run, but was soon obliged to slacken his pace from near exhaustion. Although the pack of wolves now numbered about twenty, they still for some reason failed to attack him, but surrounded him at a distance of a few paces, each moment growing bolder and bolder. In his desperation he picked up stones and threw toward them, at which they would scatter for a brief period, and he would make another effort to escape them, which, however, would prove useless, for as soon as he turned to run they would again surround him, and the only method by which he could keep them at bay was to keep up the shower of missiles, shouting at the top of his voice.
But even this resource was fast failing him, as he was well nigh exhausted and ready to drop with fatigue and fright, when suddenly unexpected assistance arrived. He heard afar off a low rumble, and knew that a train was approaching. Could he only hold his fierce enemies at bay until its arrival he felt that he would be safe. He redoubled his efforts, and soon the rumble of the train grew louder, and the headlight of the locomotive appeared around a curve. The hunted man now gave up the unequal contest with the savage brutes, and facing the approaching train, threw up his arms and concentrated all his energies in a loud call for help, which was heard above the rattle of the cars. The engineer whistled “Down breaks,” the train came to a standstill, and the poor fellow, more dead than alive, climbed into the cab of the engine and fainted, and it was only after the arrival at the next station that he was able to relate his terrible experience.
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