The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-01-20

ed the rude ladder, and felt her way along
IN the darknoss-the loft was unproYided
with windows-to the spot where she
| supposed the object of her search TO be
lying, but it was not there Either she
or her husband had moved il, and cropping
her way about in the gloom, she, after q
few moments delay, succeeded in find
/ ing It, and taking it on her arm, she ap-
preached the ladder and was about to de-
scend when she caught sight Of an object
IN the room that seemed TO turn her blood
10 ice, and for q moment rendered her in
capable of thought or action
Standing in the centre of the room, with
It's head upturned, its fierce eyes gIaring
around in every direction, It's long red
tongue partly prot.uding from its half~
open mouth, in which the white fangs
were visible, was "a huge, lank wolf, that
despite the timidjiy Of It's race, had ven
tured in through the open door in search
Of food, attracted by the odor Of The meat
that was cooking on The fire, as it had
been prowling about the cabin, as was
frequently the caae at This season Of the
year.
For a minute, Mrs. Sloey was so para
lyzed with horror ihat for her life or her
child'5 she could not have movcd OF ut
tered = word, and the wolf also remained
stationary, snufiing the sir, 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 il
seemed as if no power on earth could save
Slowly and shyly The wolf approached
The fire, shifting the air as it did so, bot
not fancying the strong light thrown out
by the embers, or the heat that IS it APP
preached became rather uncomfortable
and as the monster would dart back
new paHg Of horror would assail the heart
of the mother, who, with feelings that can
not be described, was watching any mo-
ton on which depended the life of her
child.
Suddenly one of those wild flful gusts
of wind that sometimes precede storm,
came whirling into the cabin, sending tie
! light sparks up the chimney. and scatter>
ing them about the room, TO the visible
terror and disgust of the wolf, who sided
toward the door, and just as Mrs. Sloey
was experiencing delightful hope that
the monster would 90 away, the fierce
gust slammed the door to with Il loud
bang, and the heart of the mother sank
within her as she saw that the wolf was
prisoner within the cabin.
Horror stricken at the situation Of af-
fairs, Mrs. Sloey watched, with a sinking
heart, the movements Of the wolf, who,
finding himself thus Gagged, began 10 move
auxiously about the room, no longer seek
ing so much for food as for a chance to
escape but at this moment, what was
the horror of the mother TO see her boy,
awakened, no doubt by 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 it's eyes upon the little fellow,
who, all unconscious Of danger, was call
ing for his mother. The red tongue still
pro,rudcd, and the white teeth gIistened
in the fire-light, as the monster, half fear
ing TO spring, crept nearer the bed to take
a better look at his prey.
Half frenzied with tho terrible danger
of her child, the mother determined to
SelSi uS Osfli me- II iSSOI LCA ti4S-h
of her boy. a plan had suggested itself
to her, mere hope as it were, and she
grasped it with all the eagerness that only
those so situated can know.
Unfolding the quilt and laying it across
her arm she prepared TO descend the lad
der. The wolf was almost at its foot,
and the bed but a short distance away.
The monster saw her coming, and with
drew his gaze from the child, and fixed
it upon his new victim.
When half way down the ladder, the
wolf made a spring at her; this was the
moment for her 10 execute her hastily
formed plan. and throwing the quilt, she
enveloped the wolf in It's folds, who, not
fancying this covering, commenced back
ing towards her striving to get rid of it,
but in vain. Now was her moment for
action and springing to the bed, she clasp
cd her child in her arms, and sPrang up
the ladder, unharmed by the wolf, who
was struggling in vain cndeavors to lid
itself from the quilt. With one hand she
threw the ladder back into the room, and
then a cry of thankfuluess fell from her
lips at the success that had attended her
efforts to save her child.
The boy, not knowing,,the meaning of
this behavior en- the part of his mother,
and somewhat frightened withal, began
to cry; and while she tried TO hush him
in silence again she did not take her eyes
from off the wolf, who, completely blind
folded, was spinning about the room in
the most eccentric manner.
1t was more by lis subsequent action
than the fortunate throwing of the quilt
by Mrs. Sloey that the wolf became SO
hopelessly entangiod in it. At first she
watched lis actions with satisfactA:er 10
as each circle brought K possession of her
the fire q, .qS6Id it blunder therein, as he
seemed fated to do, would not the cabin
=, or a., Gre therehv and deaih IS hor.