The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-04-21

haQ 100 mucn SOOd Sense TO wall 1Or
more than "Good-by, Jim, ,""Good-by
Harry" and "Good-by, Jeff"-but
which said which, it would have been
hard for Jeff to have told. Fl
Jeff 8 heart was shifting him terri
bly, for the consequences Of his prac-
tical joke, but none the less did he
come in with good suggestion:
awe can't hope to foot it in the
snow ahead of the wolves" he said.
"Of course not" said Jim "thsyll
be on US before we've gone a mile"
"Then we'd better make for the
rocks" replied Jeff, "short order"
"Jeff's right!" exclaimed Harry.
"We can back up to the rocks and
keep the bowling devils in front of
u.s."
The next half miles walking was
as near q run as they could make it.,
and the steadily nearing sound of
those warning howls was all the ur-
ging they needed, but it brought
them up where the road passed near
the foot of high rugged, perpendic-
ular granite hedge.
"Hurrah !" suddenly shouted Jeff.
"Iet's have q fire. I've got some
matches. Wolves hate fire.
1t was desperately quick work, but
a long pile of fallen branches and
fragments of trees grew rapidly near
the face of the rock. There had
been no time to lose, indeed, for, as
jeff knelt in the snow, over o hand.
full of dry twigs he was coaxing into
a blaze, his companions could already
distinguish among the forest shadows
the dark, griszly, crouching, bound
ing forms Of their dreaded assailants
"Hurry, JEFF, blaze her up!" shout
ed Jim Oake's.
"Hcavens and earth, what a lot OF
them !" exclaimed Harry.
Jeff sprang to his feet, but his work
was not accomplished till he had llt
the pile in adozon places. Merrily the
dry birch and hickory bark caught
the hot tongues of the curling fame,
but before the heavier wood could be
kindled, the forest gladeS around
them seemed to blazo with fiery eyes.
Bang--bang-bang.
"Ono barrel at a time!" shouted
Harry. "Always keep one back"
The first charge of the starving,
ravenous pack had been fierce one,
but tho rafting storm of buckshot
checked it for for moment. Over
rolled thre of the monsters, only to
be instantly torn to pieces by their
fellows; burt even that delay saved
precious time and gave a chance to
load up again.
"There WIS never such wolf-bee
in these woods BEFORE" said Jeff, as
he rubbed his shoulder after the kick
it had received from Elder Mosley'E
awful gun. 81 guess everybody else
must be safe, for they're pretty much
all here"
at looks like it," said Jim and
while Jeff was busy loading and wa:
not likely to hear he tnrned to his
parLncr.in-tradc and half whispered
"uarry, old fellow, we can't say
how this thing'll turn outlets be
friends"
"Give os your hand" said Harry
II owe you anything for giving W
Maggie as you did,"
"Maggie" exclaimed Jim, "Maggie
All, yes. What fool [ have been
Harry, my friend, I'm so glad Annie
is safe"
81 guess I've been q fool, too,
slowly responded Harry; 'but it's
all right, now, boys!'
The fire was blazing furiously now
but for q moment the forest devils
seemed to have forgotten their fca,
of it, as they dashed around it, and
the open space at the end. Not &
shot could miss, however, and the eff
feet of ''six grists of buckshot" was
deadly, but it had to BIO followed with
dubbed guns and fro-brands before
the wolves again retreated
1t was fearfully close thing, and
not one of the three got off without a
mark; but the fircbrands carried them
through.
They hardly felt the bitter cold in
their excitement, and could not have
guessed how much time had been
passcd-it might have been minutes
and it might have been hours. Again
and again the pack came bowling up.
and Jeff declared that he had but one
moro load. His friends were but lit.
tleb .etter off and things were beginn-
ing tolook badly. Even the fire would
not burn forever.
"Look out, now boys" cried Jim ;
"thcy'rc q gathering. l declare it
seems as if there was as many as ev-
er."
"Not quite" said Jeff? "but there
they come"
Good aim and true all around; but
lit almost seemed in vain to check
that maddencd torrent of swapping
| jaws and glareing eyes.
The woods had multiplied the ech-
ocs Of the guns, but just as the three
friends braccd themselves for another
hand'to.iaw" struggle another chorus
of sound broke gladly in their ears.
Shout, sleigh-bells, wild hurrahs OF
excitement and delight J. and in a
moment more than half dozen swift.
| ly driven teams came charging down
the road from the direction Of Square
Four Corners.
The wolvs heard, hcsitatod, fell
back; but Harry Maplcson tossed his
fur cap in the hair for very joy, and,
that head piece was the only trophy
won by the wolves that night. 1t fell
within reach of yellow brute, who