Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

St. Petersburg, Russia.
Oct. 7, about 7 a. m., the peasants from the adjoining villages had collected together at a fair which was held at the settlement of Darvenkoff, District of Izume, and the male portion of the assembly had dispersed to the drinking shops to make bargains and drink each others’ healths, leaving the women and children in charge of the carts. Suddenly there resounded through the square a heartrending shriek for assistance, and then all was quiet. The peasants rushed out of the drinking booths into the street, and before they had time to collect their thoughts there appeared from behind a building situated on the edge of the square an enormous wolf.
Everybody rushed in great confusion to their carts, shouting “Mad wolf!” Meantime the gigantic wolf, frothing at the mouth, and with his tongue hanging out, made for the carts. A dreadful tumult occurred. The horses and oxen dashed in all directions, but the majority, getting entangled, fell, overturning the carts, while the noise made by the pigs, sheep, geese, fowls, etc., added to the uproar and confusion. The wolf, when within a short distance of the first group of carts, turned round, sprang on to a woman who was running past, and in a moment she was prostrate on the ground, having lost her nose, scalp, and lower part of her face. The wolf then ran further, and attacked a small lad of about 7 years of age; but just at that time a pig rushed at the wolf and bit its tail. The wolf turned on his assailant, but not before it had bitten the boy’s face and hand. Leaving the pig, the wolf ran down main street, attacked a woman with a baby, then two boys about 4 years of age, and, having bitten their heads through to the brain, rushed up the street, and, after biting several other persons, turned off on the railroad.
By this time a large crowd, headed by the village elder, and armed with whips, guns, scythes, etc., gave chase to the terrible animal. They came up with the wolf about one mile from the village, and a peasant, allowing it to approach within about fifteen paces, shot the animal straight in the open maw. Notwithstanding the wound he had received, the wolf sprang up and attacked the peasant. The latter did not lose his presence of mind, and struck the animal with the butt end of his gun, which was shattered at the blow, and the wolf seized the peasant by the side, but owning to the man wearing three coats, his skin was only scratched. The courageous man then firmly gripped the animal with both hands. During the struggle between a man and a mad wolf the crowd which had come up hesitated, through fear, to attempt the rescue of their comrade. Fortunately, a local policeman galloped up to the juncture, and, drawing his revolver, shot the wolf through the head.
The wolf had bitten no less than twenty-five persons, ten of whom are in a dangerous state. The suffers were isolated from the rest of the inhabitants, and medical aid was at once administered to them. It is reported that the wolf came from the settlement of Dovegenkoff [situate about eighteen miles from Dargenkoff], where a mad ox had died and had been buried, but so carelessly that on the following morning the body was found scattered about.