The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-05-30

might reach the inmates of the cabin
"they would not hear 'em in the storm
and besides, l swear by the living God
that | will send some of them to HI
before | de- a
Blair commenced his deadly work
and as one Of the wolves fell the others
fought and snarled, and gnashed their
teeth over the horrid feast. Their teeth
sounded like the shifting of steel upon
steel. Still they howled more fiercely as
the slaughter went on.
My gun is wet, and will not CO." |
heard Blair mutter with curse. "D-n
'em, I'll try them with the axe
My wildly uttered warning was too
late, for, as it swelled above the sounds
below, with unnatural strength, Blair
leaped down with a shout of rage aud
defiance, and with his axe aud knife
fought the pack face to face.
/ grew sick at heart as | watched with
burning eye-balls the struggle through
the darkness. could see the black forms
swarming around the trunk, where Blair
had backed up. After the first howl of
JOY, as it seemed to me, when Blair jump
ed down, the wolves were less noisy, and
apparently more wary, for they seemed
to realize that they had an enemy to deal
with. l madly called to him, and NUT
curses. as | tried to unite the thongs with
which had lashed myself to the trunk.
"Ha, hal glorious sport here, boy
another devil the less !" and his maniac
laugh and shout came up scarcely less
startling than those of the wolves around
him. knew he was mad.
| could hear the vice-like Jaws close
constantly around Blair, and now and
then his axe sink with a heavy, crouch.
ing sound into some skull, and then all
grew more dim; a delicious feeling of
happiness crept over me A.; the sound of
the strife below died out, and sweet
dreams stole over me like the summers
breath.
The reports of our rifles had reached
the cabin, which, as afterwards learned
was not twenty rods from where we
camped. The inmates. numbering some
fourteen, by the addition of emigrants
who had stopped in the storm, came out
with dogs and guns, and reached the
spot but moment too late. Blair had
lodged his axe so deeply in the head of
a wolf that the corners remained fast,
and the others tore him down. They
were literally shot down with their fangs
holding 10 the torn flesh, and his warm
blood jetling over their shaggy SKINS
The mangled body was taken from Them,
and | was cut down from the tree and
carried to the cabin.
l was all winter recovering from my
injuries. The awakening from that
dream of death was terrible awakening.
and | suffered more than pen can de-
scribe.
Blair was buried on the edge of the
prairie. and when left in the spring the
early flowers were already spring;ng upon
his grave. The old man rests sweelly
under the wide shadow of the old oak.
l carried the locket to its destination.
The sister clutched it eagerly, and thank
ed me, though her heart almost broke
under the stroke. | remained in New
York through the summer, and in the
autumn the sister returned with me to
- Prairie, and we built our cabin
within sight of the brothers grave. The
oak is now dead and splintered, and the
spot where he died densely covered with
an underground, whose vines shut out
the light of day, and guard it even from
the football of man or beast. Last week
our dog brought out skull, with the
wide cash of an axe hit through the top.
Quietly, and without the knowledge of
my wife. | went and tossed the memento
into the thickest growth OF the place
Daily Wisconsin.