Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-05-06

says Dave Il wouldn't stop a night
in this hero barn as IL is, not for I've.
hundred-dollar bill. Remember, Sias,
e I've warned you as a friend = and away be
q went.
D "Well, squire, warnt goin' to let Dave
. scare me, cause knowed he was sweet on
! a gal called RIM Parkins, that I we're
keepin' company with, and would have
, il to tell how l had funked; and as /
hadn't beerd tell of wolves in them parts,
jest thought he said that by the way Of
, banter.
"Well, | made myself comfortable in the
barn. II was all boarded up on three sides,
and partly on the fourth only there was
a gap left for the door, big enough to let in
a wagon-load Of hay. 1t wasn't cold, bein'
a fne night in the Indian summer. So
kept strollin' up and down, takin look
out now and agin, to sec IL there was any.
body lurkin' about with an eye to the boards
and shingles, but there warn't a soul
stirrin' but myself Every now and agin,
ID mix myself little grog, till the rum was
all gone, and then began to feel most
eyerlastin' sleepy; SO | thought I'D jest
lay down awhile on the big pile Of shavings
there was in one corner Of the barn. Well,
squire, | dropped of, as you may suppose;
and | guess it were along Of what Dave
Shunyser said | got to dreamin about
wolves, till at last, blame me if didn't
dream there was one in the barn huntin'
about just like q dog, sniifin' here and there,
till at last be came to the pile Of shavings
where | was
well, squire, can't call to mind how
| woke exactly, but the fust thing remem-
Der was sittin' right up on the pile Of
shavings, tryin' to make out as well as |
could in the dark if there was anything in
the barn or not. 1t was about minute
before could see clearly; but at last l
heard slight rustle and thought heard
somethin' move. Thinks l, that's Dave
Shunyser, or some Of the boys, come back to
frighten me. They shan't have il to crow
over me. So | sings out, " Is that you,
Dave 2" There was no answer, but heard
rustln' and patter Jest like a dogs
paws, and could see the critter, whatever
il was, crawlin' towards the gap in the
boards. Then it stopped, and kinder turned
its head, and | cotched sight Of two twink
!, lin lights, and, thinks /. it's stray dog;
/ when the critter gave spring out of the
barn, aud sot up howl.
! esquire, shouldn't have ben scared with
one wolf but that howl was answered from
, the woods, maybe quarter Of mile of,
by another, which l knowed could only
have come from pack of not less than
, fifty hungry beasts. Well, squire, | was
awful scared, and that's fact but | guess
, if I'd lost my presence of mind, it would
ha' been all up with me in about five min
t utes. knowed hadn't moment to lose,
cause | heerd 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 set fire to the shayings.
out with my flint and steel, but the spunk
5 wouldn't light and not one Of the shavings
would cotch. The howls kept comm higher
{ and higher. Then began to think l was
: gone. There was an axe in the barn, but
: what could do agin fifty wolves7 and in
the dark, where they couldn't see my eyes
: to daupt them
r "I clenched it, however, and determined
/. To sell my life dearly, when all to oncet.
l. just when I'd given up all hope, felt some-
| thing touch agin my head-it was rope
4 as had ben fast to one Of the rafters. l
:. guess, squire if that ere rope had ben foot
n shorter, I'D not been here now tellin' this
c story! The way went up that rope, hand
over hand, was q caution. And I'D barely
G swung myself on the rafter, and began
$ lashn' myself to the beam with the rope,
s when, squre---it makes my blood run cold
I to tell of 1.-THE barn was alive with wolves,
y yelpin', leapiu', and falin' over each other.
J, could hear them routin' among the shaw
= ings; and in minute they had them all
: spred over the barn floor. Then they began
] to muzzle in the earth aud scratch up the
mould with their paws
e AT last one Of 'em scented me, and told
= the others with yelp. Then, Of all the
!, yels lever heard squire, most swooned
: away and if | hadn't ashed myself to the
= rafter, I'd ha' fell right down among EN-
!, Oh, such yell never heerd afore, and
c hope I'll never hear agin Though l
knowed they couldn't get at me, it was
y dreedfu to be there alone in the dead Of the
t night, with pack Of hungry wolves lickin'
Q their slaverin' jaws, and thirstin' for my
!. blood. They ran round and round the
barn, and leaped on to each others back,
i and sprang into the air but 1t was no use ;
Q and at last began to get kinder easy, and
Is | looked down on the howlin' varmints, and
If bantcred them. Squire, you'd ha' thought
they understood feller. Every time
j. hollered and shook my fist at them, they
| yelled and jumped louder than ever. For
all this, warnt sorry when it begun to
y grow a little lighter; and about half an
G hour before dawn they begin to see 1t was
It no use so they give me one long, loud
It farewell howl afore they went. But, squire,
Il the most curious part of the story has got
e to come. Some time afore they went, it
| had growed SO light l could see 'em quite
IT plain and On ugly set OF beasts they was,
D and no mistake. Well, noticed one wolf
/, separate himself from the pack, and trying
to slink away. He had his tail between
n his legs, jest like dog when he's beaten.
d and had cowed look, as if be were ashamed
d and afeared like. All at oncct, he made n
W spring out Of the barn. but the rest Of the
!: pack was after him like lightnin'.
~ esquire concluded the Yankee, laying
q his hand impressively on my sleeve, "you
y may believe 1t or not, jest as you please
J. but beyond some hide and hairs, they didn't
ID leave piece of that ere wolf as big as my
1t hand. He was the scout as give signal to
the others, and they devoured him out Of
!" hunger and revenge, cause they could't got
sc mel"
a. TINE Is ONLY AN EMPTY SPACE, hrst ac-
/. quiriug meaning from the events, thoughts
aud feelings with which we feel it. But as
" we know that this meaning has come fraught
il with JOY and sorrow to many sensitive ma
lures, our own hearts cannot but be affected
a by il. Its quiet secret power, too, has 0