The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-04-08


Jim's face was deadly white in the
moonlight, and he hesitated for a mo-
ment before he replied
{" Maggie Galbraith, that was the
howl of a wolf, and it sounds as if there
was pack of them"
Jingle, jingle, came the swift, jang-
ling bells behind them, and In a moment
more Harry Mapleson's cutter was along
side
"The wolves Maggie-the wolves
don't you hear them?" cried Annie.
"Oh, Annie and our horse is gone, !"
returned her sister. What shall we
doP'
"Quick, Maggie r. here interrupted
Harry Mapleson. "There isn't mo-
ment to lose. Jump in here with Annie,
and drive on home. Out of that, JEFF !;
We men must stay and fight it out, but
the girls will have a good chance to get
In safe"
Maggie's motions may have been
slow, but before she could answer,
Harry had caught her up, and put her
down again in her seat.
"Drive, nowl" he exclaimed, ex-
citedly. "TelI the Squire TO call out
the boys, and come for us, but do you
two hurry in"
"What r. cried the girls " leave
you here ?"
Eyes" said Jim, "it's your only
chance, and maybe it's the best thing
for us, if you get in soon enough. Whip
up, now. GoOd-by, Annie -
" Good-by, Maggie p shouted Harry
Mapleson, and the quick jingle of the
bells rang out again, for the girls had
too much good sense to wait for more
than /" Good-by, Jim, "Good-by, Har-
ny" and "Good-by, Jeff''-but which
said which, it would have been hard for
jeff to have told.
Jef"s heart was shifting him terribly
for the consequences of his practic Il
joke, but none the less did he come in
with good suggestion
: " We can't hope to foot it home In
the snow ahead of the wolves, he said.
"Of course not, said Jim " they'll
be on us before we've gone a mile. "
"Then we'd better make for the
rocks" replied JEFF, "short order"
"Jef's right exclaimed Harry.
- We can back up to the rocks and keep
the bowling devils in front OF us.
The next half-mile's walking was as
near a run as they could make it, and
the steadily nearing sound of those
warning bowls was all the urging they
needed, but it brought them up where
the road passed near the foot of high,
rugged, perpendicular granite hedge.
Hurrah " suddenly shouted JEFF
" Let's have a fire. I've got some
matches. Wolves hate fire."
1t was desperately quick work, but a
long pile of fallen branches and frag-
nlents of trees grew rapidly near the
70 ,f IL
time to lose, indeed, for, as jeff knelt
In the snow, over handful of dry twigs
he was coaxing into blaze, his com
Pauions could already distinguish among
the forest shadows the dark, grizzly,
crouching, bounding forms of their
dreaded assailants.
Hurry, JEFF, blaze her upl" shouted
Jim Cakes.
Heavens and earth, what a lot of
them exclaimed Harry.
jeff sprang to his fee5, but his work
was not accomplished till he had lit the
pile in a dozen places. Merriiy the dry
birch and hickory bark caught the hot
tongues of the curling fame, but be-
fore the heavier wood could be kindled,
the forest glades around them seemed
to blaze with frey eyes.
Bang-bapg-ba
Zone barrel at a time " shouted
Harry. galway keep one back.
The first charge of the starving, raw
enous pack had been a fierce one, but
the rafting storm Of buckshot checked
it for moment. Over rolled three of
the monsters, only to be instantly torn
to pieces by their fellows but even
that delay saved precious time and gave
q chance to load uD again
There was never such wolf-bee in
these woods before, said JEFF, as he
rubbed his shoulder after the kick it
had received from Elder Moseley's aw-
full gun. 81 guess everybody else
must be safe, for they're pretty much
all here"
1t looks like it." said Jim and
while jeff was busy loading and was not
likely to hear he turned to his partner
in-trade and half Whispered : " Harry,
old fellow, we can't say how this
thingll turn outlets be friends"
Give us your hand" said Harry.
81 owe you anything for giving up
Maggie as you did"
Maggie !" exclaimed Jim; "Mag.
gle? All, yes. What fool I've been !
Harry, my friend, I'm SO glad Annie is
safe.
81 guess I've been n fool. too. &"
slowly responded Harry "but it's ali
right, now, boys
The fire was blazing furiousIy now
but for q moment the forest devils
seemed to have forgotten their fear oil
it, as they dashed around it, and into
the open space at the end. Not a shot
could miss, however, and the effect OF
six grists of buckshot" was deadly,
but it had to be followed with dubbed
guns and fire-brands before the wolves
again reiterated.
1t was fearfully close thing, and not
one of the three got off without a
mark but the frebrands carried them
through.
They hardly felt the bitter cold in
their excitement, aud could not have
guessed how much of time had passed
1t might have been minutes and it
might have been hours. Again aud
again the pack came bowling up, and
JEFF declared that he had but one more
load. His friends we're but little better
off, and things were beginning to look
badly. Even the fire would not burn
forever.
"Look out, now, boys" cried Jim ;
"they're a gathering. declare it seems
as if there was as many as ever"
"Not quite" said JEFF? "but here
they come"
Good aim and true all around but it
almost seemed in vain to check that
maddened torrent of swapping jaws and
glaring eyes!
The woods had multiplied the echoes
of the guns, but just as the three
friends braced themselves for another
hand-to-iaw" struggle, another chorus
OF sounds broke gladly on their ears.
Shouts, sleigh-bells, wild hurrahs of
excitement and delight and In a mo-
ment more than half a dozen swiftly
driven teams came charging down the
road from the direction of Square Four
Corners.
The wolves heard, hesitated, fell
back; but Harry MapIeson tossed his
fur cap in the hair for very Joy, and
that heRd-pieee was the only trophy
won by the wolves that night. 1t fell
within reach of a yelling brute, who
seized it and darted away, and the
whole pack followed him, for the crack
ing of firearms had already begun from
the "reinforcements."
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