Ammonia Saved Him

The fol'owing is a true wolf story written from data furnished by Dr. Thornton of Lewisburg, Pa., whose father figures as tha hero: " A bout the year 1845 wolves were abnndant in TomhicJïou valley, between Catawissa and Hazleton. When the (Jatawissa railroad, a part of the Philadelpbia and Reading, was beiug bnilt, Dr. Thomas A. H. Thoruton, a practieing physician, oue cold antumu night was called out of bed to visit a patiënt about 20 miles from his home. At that time there were no regular roads as we uow have. Iu their place the traveler used narrow paths or trails. Dr. Thoruton iu his anxiety to reach the bedside of the sufferer attempted to make a short oat. He lost his way and for a week wandered through the wilderness and, having no gun, was obliged to subsist on roots and berbs. The doctor was on horseback and af ter waudering ainiiessly about the pathless foreats for four or flve days got into a large swamp, where the norse stepped into a quagmire, from which his owner was una ble to extricate him, and the animal had to be abandoned, imbedded as he was aimost to his belly in the soft aud boggy bed. The doctor removed the saddle bags containing his supply of medicine, etc., threw them over his shoulders aud started off. "Several hours af ter the doctor got out of the swamp where he had abandoned his horse be was horrified to see that he was being followed by a band of flve or six wolves. At first they kept at a respectful distance wheu stoues were thrown at them, but finally, as if fchey appreciated the helpless couditiou of their intended victim, aud as darkness came on, the hungry, bloodthirsty band became bolder and bolder. They circled around the terrified and jaded man and, closing in, started to attack him on all sides. One rnorevicious aud impulsivo than theothersmadea spring at the doctor'sthroat, but a well directed blow from a club temporarily disabled the animal and caused his ravenous companions to discontinue at that time their premeditated and coiubined _ i_ j_ _ _ 1_ actacK. "The doctor, by this thrilling episode and tbe frightened coudition of the wolves, succeeded in going perhaps a mile unruolested when, to his great horror, he found the whole pack, led by the vicious brute he believed he had maimed with his club, hot on his trail. Tbe stunning blow administered to the leader of the bowling band seemed to have only intensified the brute's courage and tbirst for blood. The mau, weakeued by long exposure and loss of food, realized that he would soon be torn to pieces if he did uot adopt sorue new means of defeuse. "Fortunately, as the animáis begau closing around hiin for auother ouslaught, he reached a high rock and ruounted on its top, where a giant tree served to protect him from falling backward. He reached tbisemiuence in time to provrdehiruselE with somestones and two or three good clubs before his pursuers started to attack him. He stood back to the tree, and as the animáis attempted to come up he drove tbem back with bis priniitive weapous. A large 3tone hurled with great force and accuracy broke the head of ona of the as sailants, and this gave the doctor a j breathing spell. "The man, however, realized that he must soon quit his refuge, aud, remembering that he had in his saddlebags a large bottle fnll of ammonia, he deterruined to employ it as a final resoit to save bis life. He quickly removed one of his green baize leggings, tied it secnrely to a stick, and after satnrating the legging with ammonia he boldly started down the rocky promontory toward the wolves. The cunning animáis, apparently aware that he could be more easily overpowered on level ground, separated, slunk off and permitted him to proceed several hundred yards before they renewed the pursuit. They did not, however, allow much time to elapse before they took the trail of the man who had thus far so successf ully baffled their powers. "The doctor stood still and waited until one of the brutes rushed within an arm's length, wben he struck him in the face with the cloth saturated with ammonia. This receptiou was a most novel and unique one for the wolf, who ran off bowling with pain. Two more of the band were slapped across the mouths with the saturated baisse, and tbey also lef t. After this experience the wolves followed the doctor till daylight next morning, wheu they gave up the chase, which they had continued for 48 honrs and which unquestionably would have resulted in a most horrible death if it had not been for the contenta of the ammonia bottle. "Dr. Thornton suaceeded in finding a shanty occupied by the men constructing the Catawissa railroad, where he was carefully cared for, and in the course of fonr or five days was taken to his home, where he was ill for fully a month. "-