The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-01-01

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with a strong accent on the can
"There is your deer in the wind fall, !" said
l, as caught sight of the eyes moving rapid
| ly along over the mass Of timber that lay
heaped and knotted together.
"Thats no deer" sad Poke; no cloven.
foot could get over that wnd.fall that way
l would rather see the night huntsman of the
Hartz Mountains than see those eyes again"
AS he was speaking, saw in the darkness
ahead OF US, another pair Of eyes, and two or
three pair on the left. The truth flashed up
on me. The scarcity Of the deer, the prox
unity Of the windfall, the restlesness of those
eyes-all gave me the clue-the wolves are
around us.
A word to Poke, and the affair was explain
ed, and we stood still for consultation. We
tried new caps on our gun; but it was of no
use, the cones were saturated with water
We turned toward the camp, but in our con-
fusion we forgot the direction. TO heighten
the misery of the scene, our torch was almost
burnt outlet that die, and the rest could be
easily dlvined.
We were standing, at the time, under
grove of small pecan trees, and at that instant
low snort was heard from the shadow near
us, like the cough of dog.
Poke did not say word; but dropping the
gun, and seizing a limb of one of the trees
over his head, with an agility for which |
had never given him tho least credit, elevated
himself to the crotch, about ten feet from the
ground.
did not want to do anything of the kind,
of course not; would rather have placed
my back against tree, and won glorious
death in battle against my numerous foes;
but, alack for bad example, dropped the
torch, that broke in pieces falling, and clasp.
ing the nearest tree, which happened to be a
medium sized gum tree, soon scrambled up
to a place safety. Lucky it was for me
that | had that torch in my hand, for when
it fell, il lay scattered around the base Of the
tree, still flckeriug and flashing in the dark
ness, and the animals that had surrounded us
as they saw their prey escaping, rushed for
ward with an angry noise, they saw the glow.
ing embes, and held back just long enough
to permit my escape. AS | drew myself up
on the first limb rush Of gratitude passed
over my soul, and my feelings were as warm
as a child's. Nothing could be seen, for the
sombre forest shut out tho little light there
was in the atmosphere, but | heard the pat
tering of feet beneath my fortress, like falling
rain. Back and forward they came and
went, and snorting sounds and champing
teeth made tho black night alive with imag-
mary shapes. l wondered how it fared with
the Doctor, yet dared not CALL for the uncer.
tainty was less fearful than the reality might
be. pictured him fallen, dragged back
from his half attained refuge, aud divided
among the hungry pack and the very noises
below might be the mumbling Of his bones,
"Whle their white tusks crunched DER his whittier
skull.
As ii slipp'd through their jaws when their edges
grew dull
A, length summoned courage and called
Poke
'lIaloa" was the responsc-morc CRATE.
ful to my ear than any sound in the world.
GLOW are You now, my 5oyf called a.
gain.
"Safe, thank tho Lord!
"What a disgraceful situation to be in, and
how arc we TO get out of it?'
Il will be grateful il can only keep in il !;
for this tree is SO small that the wolves can
almost reach me when they jump; and, as
climbed up, one caught my coat.tail, and
tore it entirely off,
"Cllmb up higher then
81 cant; the tree is so small that when |
get any higher, it bends over and lets me
down-oh dearw
"IIavcn't you your pistol with youl Try
and shoot one, and it may frighten them
ooh, dear me, there are hundreds Of them.
/ Just look at them below
/ looked down, and surely | could see a
drove Of them. They were evidently the
grey wolf, for in spite Of the darkness, | Co d
once in while, discern their motions from
their light coats.
Poke suggested that they were phantom
wolves, and declared that they were all white.
All the fearful stories that | had ever read
came coursing through my brain. l saw
snow buried huts snuffed ont and ravished
by these providers, and heard the shrek Of
the child, thrown from the sleigh by its fear
maddened mother, aud many an old dream
e.shaped in my mind the terrors of nights OF
fever. Were we to be tired out by their dev.
ilish patience! Was one gang to relieve an
other until We YEARLY fell into their hot tain
ted jaws, thus TO be hurled into oblivion!
shouted in the hope that some one might
hear me; bnt what good to sh ut in that
IHluuIput IOTest! ncdiu NOlce--U was
Poke 'aying his prayers. listened dcvoutly
but could offer none myself.
When he had finished l called to him.
He ans1 cred family
"What is i'll speak quickly;I l cant hold
on much longer"
"Fire Your pistol, do try, it may bring
some help even if it does not kill"
81 will try" answered Poke.
There was momentary pause, and then
the sharp crack Of pistol was followed by
the singing Of bullet close by my ear. BY
the flash, saw Poke, hatloss, and almost
coatless, hanging on the topmo,t branch of a
young pecan, that bent with him like an
orang tree under heavy load Of fruit. With
the report Of the pistol there was a scramble
: among the voracious crew at our feet, but
they did not 60 away permanently, and were
back in moment.
"Fire the other barrel dear Poke, but try
and fire it the other way-point it down.
Bang! sounded the pistol, and l heard a
thump on the ground as the poor fellow threw
away the now useless pistol.
"Hold on, Poke; take heart, my dear fel
|, low"
-.