Litchfield enquirer., 1871-12-28
v,sn DOUBLE DAncEa.
lsssele conduot og . plenssr.s vFl1

8b06K, ,&N66uxz4xzA E0#H m k48 &f6GU 0kQU0- tain State. was man by the name of fSilaa Siney, who had left his early home nea, ths sea, and following the windings ol the new Connecticut, had at last pitched l upon place in the wilderness, where he erected his cabin, and then commenced an onslaught upon the giants of the forest that reared their heads in stately grandeur about him, but gave way beneath his re. IentleGs strokes, and in a couple of yearz he had quite an open space encircling his cabin. During this time he had lived alone, but when the second autumn came, another journey was undertaken to thaa old homo by the sea, and when he return ea q y0ung wife bore him company, tc share with him the joys and privations in. cident to . pioneer.
 Three years came and went, and the clearing had greatly enlarged it's borders, although no arm but his labored within its bounds. The trees that at first had come close up to the cabin, had now re. treated to respectable distance, and the ground they had once occupied was nov usurped by fiourishing crops that cheereI the heart of the settler, and encouraged him to still greater exertion.
 The three years spent in the forest by the young couple had been those of peace and contentment A son was born tc them at the commencement of the second year of their married life, and who was, at the time of the adventure we are about to relate transpired, nearly two years o1 age, add as bright little fellow as evea cheered the hearts of parents, whose very life seemed bound mp in that of theii child. | :
 The nearest neighbOfs of the Sineys were more than three miles away through the forest, so that it was seldom they. saw others than themselves. The settler was too much occupied with his work to pay much attention to making visits, and the distance was so great that it was not safe for hls wife to go alone, as the forest swarmed with wild beasts, which render. cd the night hideous with their cries, Bears and panthers abounded, but the wolves were the most to be dreaded and proved the greatest annoyance; for often they would gather around the cabin at an early dusk and keep up their horrid cries until the early gray of the dawn sent them hoyiing into the dim aisles of the. forest. and up the dark rayines among themou tains, where shadows almost like those oi of night lurked all through the day.
 One day late in October, business call ed the settler to the nearest settlement oi importance in that section, which chanced to be some eight miles distant: and he ses out early h the morning, telling his wife she need not look fur him before nightfan, as 1t was very uncertain whai time he would be able to accomplish his business, and it might be that he would not be at home until late in the night, but come he would before he slept, unless some unforeseen event interposed to prevent. Bending over his child that was sleeping in the bed, he kissed it, and then having bestowed the same mark of affec- ton upon his wife, he bade her be careful not to stir far from the cabin or to allow the child to wander from her sight fol fear that some harm might come to them from the wild beasts. With this caution, which she promised readily to observe, h6 threw his rife over his shoulder and tooI his way across the clearing, and his wife watched him from the doorway until the forest thicket hid him from her sight.
 The morning had given promise of q beautiful day, which assurahce was well kept until little past meridian, when the wind changed to the eastward, and dark clouds began to obscure the sky to the south and east, giving strong indications that q storm was nigh at hand. Busy with her work and the care of her boy, Mrs. Siney did not notice the approaching storm until near nightfall, when the sud. den darkness that seemed at onceto throw a deep gloom about the cabin reminded her that the night and storm were close al hand, and going to the doorway she gazed anxiously towards that point in the forest whence she expected to get the first sight
 Although her gaze was long and earnest, 1t was not rewarded by glimpse of hel husband, then with look at the dari clouds that seemed to hem the little clear. ing in as if with huge pail, she tried to calculate how long it would be before the rain would begin to fall, and to guess the distance her husband might be away, and the chance he had of reaching home be- yore the storm.
 Standing ia the doorway the gloom seemed to her to deepen every moment, while the wind that had been signing dis. mally in the forest died away. leaving eve. rything almost as still as death.
 The kettle singing on the hearth recall. ed her to the fact that she had commenced preparing supper, and turning away from the door, she approached the rude stone fireplace, and after paying due attention to what was cooking there she approached the bed upon which her boy was sleeping, and found the air of the fast deepening night appeared to strike him where he lay. Not caring to close the door, as she wish. ed to catch the first sound of her husband'i footsteps on his return, she bethoughi herself of quilt that was in the loft, which she could spread Supons. the bed without disturbing her little son.
 Listening for moment, to make sure no footsteps were. approaching, she as. cended the rude ladder, and felt her way along in the darkness-the loft was unpro. vided with Yindows-to the spot where she supposed the object of her search tc be lying, but it was not there. Either she or her husband had moved it, and gropine her way about in the gloom, she after { few moments delay, succeeded in finding 1t, and taking 1t on her arm, she approach ed the ladder and was about to descend when she caught sight of an object in tho room that seemed to turn her blood to ice and for . amomept rendered her incapable of thought or action.
 Standing in the centre of the room witI its head upturned, it's fierce eyes glarine about in eyery direction, it's long red tongue partly protruding from it's half open mouth, in which the white fangI were visible, was huge, lank wolf, thai tdespite the timidity of its race, had ven 1 tured in through the Apep door in searc1 of food, attracted by the oder of the meal that was cooking upon the fire, as it had been prowling about the cabin, as wasfre quently the case at this season of tn 1 year
 For minute, Mrs. Siney was 50 para lyxed with horror that for her life or he child s she could not have moved or utter ed word, and the wolf also remained sta
 tionary, snufing the air, and then moving cautiously toward the fire; to the moment ary relief of the mother, as she saw tha he was further from the bed upon whicl her boy was sleeping, yet whom it scenes as if no power on earth could save.
 Slowly and shyy the wolf approaches
 the fire. snifing the air as it did 50, bu not fancying tho strong light thrown ou