Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-03-15

stray dog when the critter give a spring
out of the barn, and sot up howl l
shouldn't have been scared with one wolfe,
but that howl was answered from the
woods, may be quarter of mile off, by
another which knowed could only have
come from pack of hungry devils
Well, Squire, was awful scared, and
that's fact but If l had lost my pres
ence of mind, it would have been all up
with me in about five minutes. l knowed
hadn't moment to lose, cause heard
the howl comm nearer and nearer-and
the yelp, yelp of the sentinel wolfe out
side callin' them to their prey My first
idea was to set FIRE to the shavins. out
with the flint and steel; but the spunk
wouldn't light, and not one of the Shawn s
would catch. The howl kept comm nigh.
er and higher. Then / begun to think
was gone. There was an axe in the barn,
but what could l do agin fifty wolves and
in the dark where they couldn't see my
eyes to daunt them?
~ clenched il, however, and determined
to sell my life dearly, when all at once
just when I'd give up all hope, felt some
thing touch agin my head-it was rope
as had been made fast TO one of the raft
ers. I guess, Squire, if that rope had
been foot shorter d never been here NJ ow
tellin this story. The way I went up that
rope, hand over hand, was q caution.-
And I'D barely swung myself on to the
beam with the rope, when Squire it
makes my blood run cold only to tell of
1.-THE barn was alive with wolves, leapin
yelpin' and fallin' over each other.
could hear them routin among the Shawn s
and in minute they were spread all over
the floor. They began to. muzzle in the
earth and scratch up the mould with their
paws.
cat last one scented me aud told the
others with yelp. Then of all the wells
l ever heard Squire, / most swooned
away; and if hadn't lashed myself to the
ratter, I'd fell right down among EN-
Oh, such yell never heered afore, and
shall never hear again Though 1 know
ed they couldn't get at me, it was dreadful
to be there alone in the dead of night, with
pack of hungry wolves lickin' their sla-
yerin jaws and thirsting for my blood
They ran around the barn, and leaped on
each others backs, and sprang in the air
but il was of no use, and at last began to
get kinder easier, and l looked down on
the howlin varmints, and bantered them.
Squire, you'd ha' thought they understood
filler. Every time hollered aud shook
my fist at them, they yelped louder and
jumped higher than ever. For all this
warn't sorry when it began to grow light
er; and about an hour before dawn they
began to see it was no use, so they gave me
one long loud farewell afore they went
But Squire, the most curious part of the
story has got to come. Some time after
they went. it had growed so light could
see them plain, and an ugly set of devils
they was, and no mistake Well, noti-
ccd one wolfe seperate himself from the
pack, and trying to stink away, he had his
tail between his legs, jest like dog when
he's beaten, and had coward look, as il
he was ashamed and afeard like. All at
once he made spring out of the barn, but
the rest Of tho pack was after him like
lightnin.
Squire" concluded the Yankee, lay
ing his hand on my sleeve, 'you may be.
lieve it or not, jest as you please but be.
yond some hide aud bones, they didn',
leave a piece of that ere wolfe as
big as my hand He was the scout as
gave the signal to the others, and they de-
voured him out of hunger and revenge
cause they couldn't get me