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

i degrees, however, the matter was made clear
and no sooner did old Sutton see how things
: were going, than he took down his gun and
powder-flaSk, and, fully participating in thu
young mans delight. prepared at once to sci
forth with him, regretting only the absence -ol
Metcal, who had also passed the night in the
i wood, watching. --.s....... -.
i All! he'll have had ike luck, I guess" said
i the old man, for he had fine prospects and
4 seemed sure of his game. Well, well, there's
no harm done, you can divide the reward, and
two wolves are, after all, surer than one Isit
wolf that you've trapped p
Aye, and fine one, too, as ever tore O
4 calfp' 1888 a.i.f.5 ,- 400 azas}5 ,l'
4 Capital, capital along, Ben Hol-
! la! Seipio and Cato, away with ye BOTH
| Where did you say the beast is! BY the frog
| spring Z" .-.-
4 ;" On the bank Of the stream, abont six hun
dred PAGES from the split in the hill-ridge, and
just opposite where the devIspupi hangs over
the brook The niggers will be able to find
the spot" ,4r ..... -...,. ..... 7.
p" All right, man; they can't well miss it
/ Scipio knows every inch Of the ground-an now
for the rope and the bag Have you got the
collier Benz"
The young man nodded assent, shook the
little bell right merrily and seemed hardly able
/ to wait till the spot was reached, so eager was
he to complete the achievement, and to seal his
victory
Their quick walk soon brought them in the
vicinity of Ben's supposed preserver.
" Hey, Ben what are you peeping at there?"
cried Sutton, as the young man had leaped on
to the trunk OF a fallen tree, and, grasping the
oyerhanging branch of a young beech was
gazing steadfastly into the depths of the hol-
low that lay beneath; but he returned no an
| swer.
Hey, Ben! what ails We, man! Youdon't
| rightly know where YOU are, | suspect" cried
| the farmer, looking mpatiently around. 3" We
are in the wrong hollow a
Still Ben Holick answered not word; but
with look of deathlike paeness, pointed, as
| though incapable of utterance, to a confused
heap of poles and withered 6rushwood, in the
midst of which the old mans practiced eve anick-
| ly discovered the rough, fourcornered, massive
framework of a wOlt-snare, such as were com
monty used in the forest.
lis cheat! cheat, after all.' he cried
when second glance had convinced him that
| it was empty. This is really too much; aud
now. the sooner am up the hill again the bet
| ter"
But as he turned to climb the ridge, his ewes
fell upon the wild and haggard countenance of
the so late joyous hunter; and as he was about
to ask what allied him. the words 1t is
EN.TY!" broke IN hollow whisper from Ben's
| lips
Farmer Sutton was alarmed, and quieklyex-
claimed; q Do you really mean to tell me that
you left wolf under that trap"
Under that trap" repeated his disprited
! companion, slowly and mournfully. as he stood
gazing on the piticss wreck Of all his hopes of
happiness
And YOU would really have me believe
that?n growlcd thc old man, as he neyerthe-
less began to descend the slope, till he came
over against the spot where the trap had been
set
1t was empty, indeed; but of one thing there
was no longer any doubt-it had fallen The
flesh inside did not appear to have been touch
ed; but there was Il trace Of scent, and, on fur
ther search, some white hairs adhering to one
of the rough beams that could have come on
ly from the belly of wolf But what had
become of him: That ne could have worked
his way ont, under the heavy frame work, vas
impossible. Sutton stepped down aud put his
shoulder TO lift it, he could scarcely raise it a
foot.
While he was thus employed Benjamin Joined
him, and without speaking word placed his
rife against tree. threw the bell and collar he
side it and stepping into the middle Of the ruin
ed heap, began carefully, but without disturb
ing ANYTHING to examine the state of matters
within.
" And You really had live wolf there this
morning" repeated Sutton, after pause, du-
ring which, in spite Of the evidence of the hair
and the scent he had become confirmed in his
belief
Il give Won my word of honor on it, said
Ben, in a broken voice " A stout hc-wof
was sitting under the trap when | left this
spot scarce an hour since; but the strength of
three wolves would not have sufficed to move
these beams and to make an opening through
them: and even if they had they must certain /
ly have left at least half their skin on the rough
bark
al think so too" said Sutton And YOU
are fully persuaded that it tcas wolf?n
Now hang it, man,n exclaimed the hun
ter, stung beyond endurance by disappointment, |
and now by the oft repeated suspicion of his
truth, "do YOU think don't know a wolf from |
a lump of horse-Hesh2 but therei look in and
convince yourself at last" AS he spoke he
suddenly Jumped into the middle OF the heap, /
and with one vigorous effort threw back the /.
spring that covered the trap, as though it had
been but a sapling lath, and swung himself
with one leap to the bottom. There! lookw
he exclaimed, as ne pointed 10 the humid sur
face. Here, here, here! again, are the /
marks OF the claws, since YOU will not take my
word; here is the place where he drove in the
spring as he Was taking the bait; and here, it
seems, is the spot where it fell. Would yca
have more proof that il is a fact and not lie
that I'm telling YOU? Plague and poison! it
is vile trick that one OF those skulking villains
of the hamlet who can never look me straight
in the face, has playedsne. The wild beast has
been set free of wanton malice, and, by my