The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-01-13

LII OhO SCIuSl VI bllc Iooul,
with it's head upturned, it's fierce eyes
glaring around in every directi on, it's
long red tongue partly protr1ding from
its half-open mouth, in which the white
fangs were visible, was a huge, lank
wolf, that despite the timidity of it's
race, had ventured in through the open
door in search of food, attracted by the
odor of the meat that WAS cooking upon
the fire, as it had been ,,rowling about
the cabin, as was frequently the case at
this season of the year.
For minute, Mrs. Sloey was SO
paralyZed with horror that for her life
or her child's she coUld not have NOV
ed or uttered Il word, and the wolf also
remained stationary, snuffing the air,
and then moved cautiously towards the
fire, to the momentary relief of the
mother, as she saw that he was farther
from the bed upon which her boy was
sleeping, yet whom it seemed as if no
power on earth could save.
Slowly and shyly the wolf approach
ed the fire, shifting the air as it did so,
but not fancying the strong light
thrown out by the embers, or the heat
that as it approached became rather
uncomfortable; and as the monster
would dart back a new pang of horror
would assail the heart of the mother,
who, with feelings that cannot be de-
scribed, was watching any motion on
which depended the life of her child.
Suddenly one of those wild fitful
gusts of wind that sometimes precede a
storm, came whirling into the cabin,
sending the light sparks up the chin
ney, and scattering them about the
room, TO the visible terror and disgust
OF the wolf, who sided toward the
door, and just as Mrs. Sloey was ex-
periencmg a delightful hope that the
monster would go away, the fierce gust
slammed the door to with a loud bang,
and the heart of the mother sank with
III her as she saw that the wolf was a
prisoner within the cabin.
Horror stricken at the situation of
affairs, Mrs. Sloey watched, with sink
ing heart, the movements of the wolf,
who, finding himself thus Gagged, began
to move anxiously about the room, no
longer seeking SO much for food as for
Il chance to escape; but at this mo-
ment, what was the horror of the moth
er to see her boy, awakened, no doubt
by the the noise made by the slamming
of the door, rise up in bed and call her
to come to him.
At the sound of the child's voice, the
wolf paused near the centre of the
room, and fixed its eyes upon the little
fellow, who, all unconscious of danger.
was calling for his mother The red
tongue still protruded, and the white
teeth glistened in the freight, as the
monster, half fearing to spring, crept
nearer the bed to take better look at
his prey.
Half frenzied with the terrible dan
ger of her child, the mother determined
to sacrifice her own life, If need be, for
that of her boy. plan had suggested
itself to her, mere hope as it were,
and she grasped it with all the eager
ness that only those SO situated can
know.
Unfolding the quilt and laying it
across her arm she prepared to descend
the ladder. The wolf was almost at it's
foot, and the bed but sholt distance
away. The monster saw her coming,
and withdrew his gaze from the child,
and fixed it upon his new victim.
When half way down the ladder, the
wolf made spring at her; this was the
moment for her to execute her hastily
formed plan, and throwing the quilt,
she enveloped the wolf in its folds, who.
not fancying this covering, commenced
backing towards her striving to get rid
of at, but III vain. Now woo laor mo
ment for action and spring
ing to the bed, she clasped her child
IN her arms, and sprang up the ladder,
unframed by the wolf, who was strug-
CLING III vain endeavors to rid itself
from the quilt With one hand she
threw the ladder back into the room,
and then cry of thankfulness fell from
her lips at the success that had attend
ed her efforts to save her child.
The boy not knowing the meaning of
this behavior on the part of his mother,
and somewhat frightened withal, be-
gan to cry and whilesne tried to hush
him in silence again she did not take
her eyes from off the wolf, who, com
pletely blindfolded, was spinning about
the room in the most eccentric manner.
1t was more by its subsequent action
than the fortunate throwing of the
quilt by Mrs. Sloey that the wolf be
came so hopelessly entangled in it. At
first she watched its actions with sat
lsfactlOn, but as each circle brought
the wolf nearer to the fire a new terror
took possession of her heart. Should
1t blunder therein, as he seemed fated
to do, would not the cabin be set on
fire thereby and a death as horrible as
the one from which she had Just res
cued her child be their fate Trem-
bling with fear she watched every mo-
ton, and at last that which she had
feared occurred.
Each circle, us the wolf had frantic
ally endeavored to free itself from the
covering, had brought it nearer to the
fireplace, under the mass of glowing
embers. A howl of rage and pain fol-
lowed as it sprang out again upon the
floor, It's covering a sheet of fire. An
other bound and it landed upon the
bed, where by frantic effort it threw
off its fiery cover, and uttering yelps of
pain it sprang again to the floor and
rushed around the room for chance
to escape.
The bed was all afre in moment,
and Mrs. Sloey uttered a cry of de-
SPAR as the flames caught i'll every di
rection and a dense volume Of smoke
rolled up through the aperture in the
loft.
Father in heaven, must we per-
ish !" exclaimed the mother, as she
pressed the child to her breast. "Hus-
band husband why do you not come
and save your wife and child from this
horrible fate -
No answer to this frantic ejaculation |