St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-05-15

"'Why, man alive" says |. "whars
the danger to come from ?"
"'Why.' says Dave. 'ain't you aheerd
there's been wolves seen i'll the neigh
borhood ? Didn't the deacon tell You
as how he lost two sheep only the night
afore last You darsnt make a fire,
cause of the shavings: and the barn
amt boarded up
Dave says |. don't you think to
pull the wool over my eyes that fash
ion. and then have it to say you circum-
vented Silas Wood. | reckon can
read yOu as easy as book. You'd like
to arm them two dollars yourself. Well.
now, I'll tell YOU what I'll do with You.
Two's company if YOU like to stop
with me. you're welcome; and | don't
care if | share the brass into the bar
gain.
.Says Dave: i wouldn't stop Il
night in this here barn as it is, not for
five-hundred- dollar bill. Remember.
Silas. I've warned you as IA friend; !; and
away he went.
'Well, squire. | warn't gOin' to let
Dave scare me. cause knOwed he was
sweet on gal called Rini Parkins, that
were keepin' company with. and would
have it to tell how | had funked and
as | hadn't heerd tell of wolves i'll them
parts, | Jest thought he said that by the
way of banter.
well | made myself comfortable i'll
the barn. 1t was all boarded up on
three sides. and partly on the fourth !;
only there was gap left for the door
big enough to let i'll IL wagon-load of
hav. 1t wasn't cold. bein' fine night
in the Indian summer. So | kept Il
strollin' up and down. takin' Il look out
now and agin to see if there was any
/ body lurkin' about with an eye to the
boards and shingles. but there waln't Il
soul Stirrin' but myself Every now
and agin. I'd mix myself little grog,
/ till the rum was all gone. and then |
began to feel most everlaStn' sleepy ;
SO ! thought I'd Jest lay down awhile
on the big pile of Shavings there was i'll
one corner of the barn. Well. squire.
| | dropped off. as yon may suppose: and
/ | guess il were along of what Dave
| Shunyser said got To dreanin about
wolves. till at last. blame me if didn't
dream there was one in the barn huntin'
/ about Just like Il dog. >mitfin' here and
/ there. till at last lie came to the pile OF
shavings where | WIS.
well. squire. | cant call To mind
| how | woke exactly. but the fu>t thing
| remember | was Sittin' right up on the
pile of shaving>. tryin' to make ont is
well is could in the park if there WAS
ANYTHING in the barn or not. 1t was
| about IA minute before | could see clear
| ly: hut at last | heard Il slight rustic.
and thought heard somethin' move.
Thinks |. that's Dave Shuny SCI. OF
some of the boys. come back To trighter
me. They Shan't have ii to crow ovel
me. 80 | sings out. ''ls that You.
Dave? ?" There was no answer. hut
heard Il rustlin' and Il patter jest like Il
dogs paws, and could see the crittcr.
whatever it was. crawlim towards the
gap i'll the boards. Then it stopped
and kinder turned its head. and cotch-
ed sight of two twinklin' lights. and.
thinks |. its stray dog: when til,
crittcr gave a spring ont of the barn
and >ot up Il howl.
squire. | shouldn't have been scared
| with one wolf hut that howl was an
swered from the woods. maybe a quar-
ter of mile oft. 10y another. which
knowed could have come from Il pack
of not less than fifty hungry beasts
Well. squire. | was awful scared. and
that's il fact but | guess il I'd Il LOST
my presence of mind. it would ha' been
all up with me in about five minutes.
| kuowed | hadn't Il moment to lose.
cause hecrd the howl comm nearer
and nearer: and the yelp. yelp. of the
sentinel wolf outside calling them to
their prey, My first idea was to sci
fire to the shaving>. out with my
IIIt ha N
light. and not one of the >havings would
c"tch. The howl> kept comm nighcl
and higher. Then began to think
waS gone. There was an axe in the
barn. but what could | do agin fifty
wolves and in the dark. where thcy
couldn't see my eyes to daunt them
Il clenched it. however. and deter
mined To sell my life dearly. when al
to oncet. just when Id given up all
hope. felt something touch agin my
head-it was IL rope as had been fast to
one of the ratters. guess. squire. il
that ere rope had hen IL foot shorter
Id not been here now tellin' this story
The way | went up that rope. hand
over hand, was caution. And I'd
barely swung myself on the ratter. and
began laShin' myself to the beam with
the rope. when. Squire-it makes my
blood run cold to tell of 1.-THE barn
was alive with wolves. yelpin'. lcapin
and tallin' over each other. | could
hear them routiu among the shavingS
and inaminute they had them all spread
over the barn floor. Then they began
! to muzzle in the earth and scratch VI
the mould with their paws
AT last one of EN- scented me. and
told the others with yelp. Then. ot
all the yells ever heard squire,
most swoOned away: and if hadn't
laShed myself to the rattcr. I'd ha' fel
right down among EN-. Oh. such veil
| never hcerd atore. and hope I'll never
hear aGin, Though | knowed they
couldn't get at me. it was dreadful to he
there alone III the dead of the night
with Il pack of hungry wolves lickin
their Slaverin jaws, and thirStin' for my
blood. They ran round and round the
barn. and leaped on to each other,
back, and sprang into the air but il
was no use; and ut last | began to get
kinder easy, and looked down on the
howlln' varmints. and bantered them
Squire, you'd ha' thought they under
stood Il feller Every time | hollerct
and shook my fist at them. they yellc,
and jumped louder than ever. For al
this, warn't sorry when it begun t,
grow little lighter; and about half III
hour before dawn they begin to see il
was no use: so they give me one long
loud farewell howl afore they Went
But, squire, the most curious part %
the story has got to come. Some time
afore they went. it had growed so light
| could see EN- quite plain; and an ug
" set of beasts they MaS and M mis-.