Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1850-03-01
TIE WALTZ OF THE WOLVES.

were not half SO numerous as they really are
TIE WALTZ OF THE WOLVES.
Wolves abound in the waste and desolate
woods along Leaf River, Louisiana. A wear or
two since, a wedding being about to come Off
there, it was necessary to send some twelve miles
for an old niger fiddler who was indispensable
at every trolc, quiltin'. or h0use-raisng forty
miles round. 4 wild, billy, unsettled country lay
! between. In the mean time the company gath
| cred, the Squire performed the ceremony. the
groom lad taken half dozen horns with his
particular Gie9ds, and the iess at his expense
had all been porpetrated and laughed at. The
bride groom like so many statues pinned to the
( walls, the 5ashtul gallants God outside, about
the doors and windows, anxious to be in, but re-
/ Iuctant to approach, AMI urging each other to
break the ice
The squire and a knot Of old 'uns were talk
/ ing politics, and as tn evening was warm, guz-
zling every ten Ii. nutes from huge hump
shouldared, short-neo ked, four-sided bottle sew
eral of which mig be seen on i stump before
( the door, while a ore of matrons in white caps
and aprons, by the blaze of light-wood torches
were busting about the supper table in an ad-
joining house. At length the girls began to
yawn. The pretty bride herself grew drowzy
/ A scraping of feet was heard inlh gallery and
one or two impatient young bucks commenced
I shuilling,' cracking their heels together, and
cutting the 'pigeon-wng. Still no Gdiier came.
/ Hour after hour rolled by-suppcr was deferred
the drinks came faster and stronger r. the
/ yawning became more frequent among the la
dlos--the talking louder among the gentlemen
around the stump, and yet Old JOba' was not
/ forthcoming.
/ As the night wore on, and the seven stars
were high in the heavens, the impatience Of the
company became unbounded, and it was sugges-
/ ted that he should be sent for A wedding with
out fiddler was not considered lawful, and the
! Squire swore there should be no greasy doings'
or chicken iXins, till old John cam. The idea
flashed across them that perhaps he had been be-
set by wolves. No longer was this thought Of
than half dozen young fellows mounted, and
gaIlo1ed down the path that led to the forest
About four miles distant stood waste house,
and as they approached it, an Internal bowling
was heard, now and then, amidst the din, the
squeaklng of Il idIlc. The old place had long
been reported to be haunted One NON ent the
boys listened with surprise. The howl OF u sim
gle wolf had no terrors fer them, bat the dabol-
zeal serenade from a dozen, and the twangng of
the ca gut in that dark old house, Davy Crock
ct himself couldn't have stood it. SO they turned
tail and cut dirt for the place they came from,
and reported that the devil had n8bbcd old John.
and was then at the haunted house, dancing a
/ breakdown with a gang of she-wolyes for his
partners So wonderful 4 story, supported by
Suddry emphatic oaths threw everything into
confusion The young ladies' didn't quite 90 in
to duck fits but they exchanged mysterious
/ looks, and gathered aound Withercd old woman,
whose voice sank into a whisper as she related
strange tales OF that deserted dwelling. The
squire the oracle Of the settlement, discredited
the story. lie took big drink and insinuatcd
that the boys had tipped the bottle once too often
before they set out, and roundly swore that he
would face all the wolves on Leaf river, ana all
the devils il I'LL, if the company would back
/ HIM,
! A horn all round was taken on the strength of
/ this speech and, in few minutes the men were
! al. e. route for the scene Of action. They rode
on in greet giee for mile or two, but gradually
lap. el into silence and length the wolf chorus
came floating On the breeze, and then the sharp
notes of a fiddle were distinctly heard. The
! hoTsemsn dismonnted, and crept on cautiously,
/ concealed by the bushes toward the haunted
cabin. At that moment the moon bust forth,
and, within the building, might be seen the old
fiddler, poised in the air, playing Virginia reel,
W. lie a crowd Of wolves, or demons were leap
/ inc and bounding and bowling to the music -
| \ council was called The company. satisfied
/ that il really was the devil, voted an immediate
rCreatOu the = INTe jcTh3I out MS praYer-oOuk,
and swore he would run his nose through the
cninks, If every man scrjnged from him. lie
started forward, with book in hand, while two
others, half afraid and half ashamed, dropped in
to the line. The nearer he got, the louder and
more deyoutedly he spoke The bowling be-
came terrific; the tiddhng grew sharper, and
suddenly the din ana yell rose TO such a height
that human nature couldn't star d it. The line
paused, then broke in every direction, and the
Squire, shouting devil take the hindmost,' noun
ted his 'sngecat, and was the first TO carry the
word to the ladies'. There was no sleeping that
/ night. The rose leaf on the BRIDES cheek paled
away; the jessamine dropped on her raven locks.
though noaTished by the sigh that came ever and
anon from her gentle bosom. The groem sat
4 by, clasping her velvet hands, and gazing with
/ long, fond looks into her uslrious eyes
/ Al length day came, and more haggard, dis
appointed set was never seen. 1t was determin-
4 ed once more to repair to the fata! spot. There
/ was clear sky and q sparkling breeze. They
I rode boldly forward There stood the house
I The tumUlt was as loud as ever. 4 dozen
4 wolves eaped up End down painting for breath,
their eyes red and fiery, their tails switching flu
rioIs'y; and there, on the ioist was perched-
not the devil-but old John himself
/ The story is soon explained He had set ont
rather late, on the proceeding evening, for the
wedding. Night overlook HIN among nc bills,
I and he SOON heard the Tavcnous creatures On his