The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-02-13
PAP CHIPPEWA AND THE WOLVES.


The sheep were disappearing like hot
cakes. Every evening, new precautions
were taken to secure the fold, and, ev-
cry morning, Toy looked more and
more perplexed. It was decided that
no wild beast could get in through the
high, thick hedge that surrounded the
fold hence some human cunning must
be working devastation among the sheep.
For several nights, watch was kept, Tov
acting as sentinel. During this time
our sheep were disturbed. while anoth-
er fold in the vicinity suffered no inva-
sion.
The inquiry may arise why Grip, the
shepherds dog, did not protect the
sheep by holding nightly guard about
the fold. Now Grip was an industri-
ous dog by day, but, like his ancestors
across the sea, he had always been ac-
ou,tomed to enjoy the snuggest corner
at his masters fireside by night there
fore Grip refused to act in this emer-
geney. If he was driven from the house,
he returned and whined UNFORTUNATELY
at the door until we were glad 10 admit
him for the sake of quietude When
the family retired, he sought his ken
mel and slumbered unc0ncerned till
morning
After while Toy got tired out and
the watch was discontinued. Then tre
robbery went on again as brisk as ever
Finally Toy came to me, one day,
and said, Red skinned imp steal
sheep"
CHOW do you know? Have you caught
him ?" I inquired.
No catch imp, Catch sheepskins
Wolves eat sleeps insides. Imp feed
woIves,-many, many hungry wolves,
-snarl, growl, bite scratch, snap. "
And Toy went through with various ug-
ly sounds and motions to illustrate his
statement.
"But how do you know Pap Chippe-
wa feeds the wolves ?" I questioned
further. Coy always called Pap Chip
pewa the "red-skinned imp" if you
will remember.)
"Catch imp's pony, imp's dog round
VOLTS den. Toy watch long time,-imp
no come gone off stealin' sheep maybe
Toy hurry home,-watch sheepfold; so
he no catch imp"
An absurd report it seemed. Pap
Chippewa stealing food for wolves AS
if the creatures were not capable of
thieving for themselves! They infested
the timber, and prowled abroad on the
prairie, and skulked about tie farm
yards nightly, pestering the farmers to
distraction /; and yet these were the
arch-marauders that were being fostered
with tender stolen lambs
SO Miss Do keep mouth shut tight.
No tell squaw mother, cause she say
no, no. Dark come. Squaw Osewa,
far of, watch imp feed wolves. Toy
aa4oh III lIal- him In Il 10 -
I'm rather ashamed to say that, SO be-
ing ripe for folly" I agreed to carry
out Toys plan, aud steal away with
him and Osewa after pa and ma had
gone to sleep, that night.
Il was a gusty night in late NoYem-
Der a suitable time for the uncanny
errand we were bound upon. A murky
moonlight struggled through the hurry,
/ ing clouds, casting weird shadows every.
where. A single tall old hickory, stand,
/ ing out upon the prairie, tossed its arms
like a disturbed ghost in. the rasping
wind. We had gone about three miles
when l inquired how far our journey
was to stretch.
''Black fire-hole in big valley" Toy
replied, pointing beyond a stand o.
timber which we were approaching.
The "black fire hole" was an enor
nous excavation which some sanguint
speculator had made in the side of {
deep ravine, with a view to opening
coal mine in that direction. Failing tx
find coal in paying quantities, he hai
given up the scheme, leaving this disma
relic of collapsed expectations. It wa
q wild, deserted place, remote from an
habitatiOn. Pap Chippewa couldn'
have chosen a more covert retreat ii
pose of which Toy accused him.
Red-skinned imp hear ponies tramp
Two feet skulk round black fre-hole,
Toy said, as we rode over the summit O
tie ravine. Accordingly we dismounted
and securing our ponies, pursued on
way on foot.
What if the wolves sholld seen
our approach and attack us in BODY !?
I said, when we were not far distan
from the cave.
Osewa scoWled ferociousIy, and up
lifted ponderous club with which sh,
had fortified herself before leavin,
home. Toy grinned contemptuously a
this display, and said "Big she
wolves lariated. Little one no fight
Hark, bark -
Listening, we heard a volley of shor
/ quick birks resembling the noise thl
might arise from pack of quarrelsom
pups. These were followed by low
continuous growls, which gradual,
grew louder until the cave resoundeC
| with the voices of a seeming multitud,
of wolves. Toy pushed forward through
the mouth of this wild beasts den
/ Osewa followed, and I dared not lal
behind. In the remotest corner of thu
cave a fiickering torch was just expir
ing, and, by the light of this, scores o
cleaning ewes were YEARLY watching
our approach. A champiDg sound wa
audible amid the groaDs and barks tba
greeted us. Toy lit a lantern which h
clrried in his hand, and we made
closer inspection. -Four families o
wolves occupied the cave. Each famil.
had a separate pen, made of logs an'
bark, and other rough material As To,
had said, the old she wolves were 'flari
ated" or chained to stakes driven int
the ground inside the pens. The younI
ones ranged IN and out with freedom
There were twenty-six Young wolves