Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-02-13
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STORY TOR THE BOYS
The sheep we're disappearing like hot
cake Ecry evening. new precautions
we're taken To- ~ccarc the fold, and, every
morning. Toy looked more and more per
,l.v,i II VA, decided that no Wild beast
,,,piJ vet in through the high, thick hedge
that grounded the fold hence some hu-
,,,p .1unin- must ic working devastation
among flc Sheep. For several nights, watch
,,s,s Kent. Ioy acting n sentinel. During
This time our sheep were not disturbed,
while another folI in the vicinity suffered
un invasion.
The inquiry may arise why Grip, the
shepherd s dog, did not protect the sheep by
hsllm. nightly guard about the fold. Now
"trip wa- an Industrious dog by day. hut,
like his ancestors across the sea. hc had al
Uav. been accustomed to enjoy the snugsc-t
CORNER ut hi- masters iir,~ide 10y night ;
Therefore "trip refused 10 act in This emcr-
grucy. lrhc WAS driven from the house, he
r-urucl and whincd unfortunately at the
door until we were glad to admit him for
lc~lkc of uuictudc When the llmily re-
tired. he sought his kennel and >lumhcrcd
uronycrucl until morning.
After while Toy got tired ont and the
watch w.~ discontinued. Then the robbery
went 900 again as brisk a~ ever. Finally
Toy came to me, one day, and said, " Red
Skinned imp steal sheep.
.,llow do you know? Have you caught
him." inquired.
No catch imp. Catch -hceISkin>. Wolves
eat Sleeps in~ides. Imp feed wolves,
MANY many hungry wolycs,-Snarl, grcwl.
bite. scratch. snap" And Toy went through
with various ugly sounds and motions To
illustrate his statement.
"But how 10 Won know Pap Chippewa
feeds the wolyc~?" questioned further.
CToy always called Pap Chippewa the red
skinned imp" if you viii remember.)
Catch imp'~ pony. imp'~ dog round
wolrs den. Toy watch long time. imp no
come gone of -tealin' sheep maybe. Toy
hurry homc.-watch shecpiold, 50 he no
catch imp"
IN absurd report it seemed. Pap Chip
reWa stealing food for the wolves AS if
the creatures were not capable Of thicying
tor themselves They infested the timber.
and prowlcl abroad ON the prairie, and
~kulked about the farm yards nightly poster
ing the farmers 20 distraction; and Vet
these were the arch-mannders that were be
inc i,i-tered with tender stolen lambs
Miss DO keep mouth shut tight. No tel
equaw mother, cause She say no, no. Dark
come. Squaw O-ewa, Miss Do, skulk out,
mount ponies, ride far of. watch imp feed
wolves. Toy catch him. lick him, scalp him
maybc"
I'm rather ashamed to say that, '' heing
ripe for folly" agreed to carry out Toys
plan. and steal away with him and O~ewa
after pa and ma had gone to sleep, that
night.
twas a gusty night in late Noycmher; a
suitable time for the uncanny crrand we
were bound upon. \ murky moonlight
struggled through the hurrying clouds. east
ius weird shadows everywhere \ single
tall old hickory. ~t ndiuS out upon the
prairie. tossed lis arms Ikea di-tmbei
ghost in the rl~pms wind. We had gone
about three miles. when | inquired how far
our journey WIS to stretch.
BLACK lirc-hole in biz valley, Toy re-
piled. pointing beyond o stand of timber
which Ne were approaching.
The '.b.ack hrc-h,lc' was am enormous
excavation which some -anguinc spcculator
had made ia the side ola deep ra,ine, with
q view ta uprn % coal minc in that direction.
Failing TO- find coal nIayin- quantities, he
had eiycn up thc scheme. leaving this dis
mal relic of collapsed expectations. Il was
% Wild deserted place. remote from habitat
tian. Pap Chippewa couldn't have chosen
more covert retreat in which To carry ont
the mi-chicyou~ purpose of which Toy ac-
cursed him.
-Ecl-~kinncl imp hear ponies tramp.
Two feet -kulk round black fire-hole," Toy
said. a~ We rode over the summit Of the
raynr Accordingly We di~moanted. and,
securing orr ponies, pursued our way ON
foot
''Wbat IL the woIyc- should scent our ap-
rrnach and attack MS I'm a body - I said.
when We were not far distant from the cave.
O-cwa ~cowlcd fcraciou~y. and upliftcd
q p,ndcrau4 club with which She had forti-
fcd herself before leaving home. Toy
.rinned coutembuou~ly mt this display, and
~tid Big she-wolyc- laratcd. Little one
no fight. llark, bark
Listening. we heard yolley of short,
onick birk- resembling the noise that might
ari-c from pack of quarrelSome pups.
These we're followed hy low. continuous
rrowl,. which gradually grew louder until
the cave rc~uundcd with the voice, of a
forward through the mouth of this wild
beasts den. O~cwa followed, and dared
NOT lac behind In the rcmotc~t corner oi
the cave tlckering torch was Just expiring.
and. hv the light of this, scores of cleaning
eyes were wearily watching our approach. \
champing sound was audible amid the growls
md hark- that greeted uS. Toy lit a Ian
tern which he carried in his hand, and we
made a closer Inspection. Four iamllicS OF
wolves occupied the cave Each family had
81 ascraratc zen made Of logS and bark and
other rough material. AS Toy had said, the
old -hc-wolyc~ were ''lariatci" or chained
to stakes driven into the ground inside the
pens. The Young ones ranged in and out
with freedom. There were twenty->ix young
wolves. varying from tiny animals 10 hall
crown cubs The cave was strewn with
sheeTskinS, many Of which were recognized
a, coming from our own flock. Evidently a
change of diet had been made The wolves
were grecdily feasting on 4 young donkey
which had been divided among the iour
families. From this and the expiring torch
we Judged that the keeper of the animals
had but lately taken his departure from the
place. Toy was hugely disappointed
..IIumph No catch imp. Toy mad
Kill wolves" he growled, seizing Osewa :
club. and raising it above an old She-woli,
with murder written in his face.
mo, no You mustn't beat their brains
out, Toy - interposed.
With much difficulty he was restrained.
had two reasons for sparing the creatures
lives. wanted their keeper to be caught
and punished for his atrocious raids upon
our sheep-iold: and then | was curious t,
learn what Pap Chippewa was going TO d,
with them. We determined to ferret tn,
matter out if possible. The next night, Toy
and Osewa made another trip. this tim,
with M knowledge and consent. They re
turned. reporting that the wolves had disap
peared. together with every veStige of eyi
dence concerning the sEeepfold robberies
Toy handed me a scarf which had misse'
before.
Il hope didn't drop it inside the cave,
said
Toy assured me that did, looking As
he'd like to hang me with that very scarf.
limp see little long blanket.-scare him
run off wolves - Toy no catch him, h
grumbled.
was thoroughly provoked at my careless
ness; it had lost US Il valuable game.
llenceforward our sheep were rnmolested
My curiosity concerning the disposal OF tn
wolves had nearly expired, when IA oPene
the Pioneer Newsletter" one day, with
queer expression ON his face. He read
follows =
" fouNG INDIAN Co.'s FOR TIE VOL
BOUNTY On Tuesday last, an Indian bo
known To the community as Pap Chippew
brought into the clerks Office thirty vol
sealps, claiming the bounty thereon whic
the determination law allows him; S2.5
per head, or a total of S75, was handed hin