Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-03-03

4 dcrful story certainly Who should give himself
the trouble 70 Set a wolf loose just for the sske
Of Spiting you? And must he not hare tiogged
your footsteps and been at yom- heels they Whole
! night-or how should he have known the exact
moment when he might set about his work with
1 inlpunity?' '@ .a- aae. 12@2l
Ben made no reply, but climbed up the pit
! and began to search the wood for anv indica-
1 tons that might put him on the right track:
| but the withered brushwood gave no signs; and
| he found nothing but few hairs, and the prints
Of his claws where the animal had made his first
| spring on emerging from the snare, whence he
appeared to have made at once for his covert by
| the shortest cut, across the hollow There was
no trace Of human footsteps the only thing
that met the Young mans eye was couple Of
stones sunk to an unusual depth in the wet soil
-notwith Standing which they were perfectly
! dry: be who had made use Of them must then
have passed over within very short space of
time ''- ~.
Holick pointed out the stones to the old man,
who confessed that it seemed to him also as
though some porson had passed that way; but
that of course afforded no clue TO any particu-
lar individual From the crest Of the ridge
there was a track that passed in straight line
over the Hill for about a mile, and then ter1li-
mated abrubty in several rough stony decliv.-
ties. 1t vas exactly the spot that any one wish
ing to avoid pursuit would have selected; both
saw at once that further search in this direction
would be useless. -. . .. . -2
The negroes were sent back. and Sutton. in
no very pleasant fiumor, followed Holick re-
maincd TO make further examination Of the
wood and to explore the track which he I'M
agined the stones to indicate, in the hope that
some prOpitious turn might bring him--hest stamp
ed his foot ferceIy as he thought ofit--facc to
face with his trcacherous cnemy He found
nothing. The whole day was spent III crossing
and re-crossing the wood; andwhen he return
ed at evening weary and dispirited TO the ham
let, he had to endure the coincidence Of the
ncighbors, and to minister to the curiosity which
under the guise of sympathy, eagerly craYcd
the minQtest details of the event. Metcalf es-
pecialy was most friendly in Offering his sery-
ccs to 20 over the track with him again. He
had had, rs he assured Sutton, great eXpe-
rience in tracking and was convinced he should
be able to discover some clue Helick how
ever, considered himself ia this matter, as good
man as any that ever trod in moceasins,
and courtcOusly, but positively declined the
offer. @ 1865 a3a -
There was something in Metcal7s look and
voice, from which Ben Holick receiled with III
stinctivc aversion Was it party bias & jealousy
that inspired such groundless hatred of the man?
was ii not rather aei-f @
God forgive me-" he exclaimed, that
should think thus unkindly of man. who, as
far as know, has never done me wrong: but
this Metcaif ever comes acress me as nv evil
spirit, and if there lives the man at whose door
| would lay this devils vilainy it is HE. But
beware, if it be thou, my master, thou hast a
pair Of as sharp eyes upon thee as any that are
to be foundin the hamlet: and who knows whe
tLcr we may not vet have something to say to-
each other!'
Ben was u kindly, large-heartel fellow, and,
Ike most men of his gigantic mould, too well
proportioned mentally, if we may be allowed |
the expression, to he easily put eff the balance;
but nevertheless, rage blanched his cheek to
deadly palcneSS, as he now stood once more on
the snUt which had been the goal of all his hopes
SO long struggling for-attained but to be !
dashed from his hand by the knavish malice of
some masked villain -F !
But what avaiied this impotcnt anger? He !
found no trace whatever; and the wolf" marks |
were so crafty obliterated that Ben's suspicious
began to waver lie could hardly give credit /
to the foppsh citizen for so much adroitness; it
would rather have been one or other of the |
Young woodslncn who, as he we'll knew envied
his favor with Mabel, and had thus endcayored |
to deprive him of her hand But all was mere
SurmiSc, ard be saw no means of arriving at
certainty
What gricved him especially. too, was. that |
his best snare was for while rendered useless: !
for until heavy shower had obterated every
IL. "a 4 Al A
that any wolf would approach it, and there was
no site so favorable as this
Wolfs Ben was not a man to be daunted by |
difficulties. He was still master Of three traps
and here in the hollow. little higher up. one
Of these might be set This was accordingly
done; for Ben set to work with all diligence.
lay day and night in the woods, and kept so
vigilant watch that not rabbit, much iesSa
mortal man, could have stirred in the whole of
his hunting circuit without attracting his at
tcnton Full of fresh hopes, he awoke every
morning with the expectation of finding a sec
ond wolf in his tolls; but he was doomed 10
lis traps were set in vain: and
at last Ben got so utterly dispirited that he
avoided the hamlet entirly, stunning the pres
encc Of all men, and living alone in the deep
OF the forest Still, one thought, one
I'uIiuSt- pcSotSScU Hliu dbSpIhttiN, ana 10 tDfS
his energies were oil bent-the capture of
live wolf.
If he Rad occasion TO visit Woodville it was
by night, 50 as TO avoid the possibility Of en-
countering Mabel, for he he'd now come to re-
gard himself as I, dishonest hunter, and to be-
licve that he was the object Of general con-
tempt Three weeks had been passed in this
manner, and if Ben Holoek's heart was un-
changed, things had assumed a very different
asnct.t in the hamlet
The city gentleman as the young hunters
of WoodyilIe usually called him, received let
ters from Alabama requiring his immediate re-
turn, His uncle had died Suddenly, leaving
sole heir Of a property which, -as II consisted