River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-09-19

telling him that she was coming, and
then started to paddle around the shore
and look at her traps. Wtea she had got
10 a place which she aud Harry had
called Rocky HarDor, on the opposite
side OF the lake, she found dead deer,
partly eaten by wolves, and knowing the
wolves would return after dark, she set
revera3 traps for them. Then she hasten
ed back to her canoe, for it was now late,
and there could be no doubt that the
November storms with which the winter
almost always begins in that climate,
were now at hand.
But before she could set foot in her
canoe the stolm came, ana in an instant
the air was so filed with snow that an
object twenty feet away was invisible. IL
took but moment for Polly to appreci-
ate her situation. To paddle across the
lake in such storm was out of the ques-
ton. The wind was coming up, and it
would be alike impossible to coast around
the shoIe Besides it was great dis
lance, aud ice would begin TO form be-
fore she could get half way. There were
no families living ON that side Of the
lake. Her only course was to stay where
she was. Her spirit suck for moment,
OAt eAAN AeSANA away AAAN lGAiS lilaA come
up from her desolate heart, and set about
making the best of it. She fouad a large
log lying in a ravine Dragging her ca.
noe from the water, she laid il upside
| down parallel with the log, about three
| teet away from it. She then cut brush
| and laid across them, to form roof.
Creeping under tins shelter, she was soon
feF Ee sre eee 81 h6r I'VE sft Ct 4N aRa
better protection from cold than slow.
1t was lonely place. She could hear
her heart beat. But whom the wolves
commenced to gather for their midnight
repast, and when they set up their fright
full bowls, she could feel the hair rise up
on her head. She would have been brave
enough if she could have fought with
the wolves, but to lie there ana listen to
to their uneartbly yelling, not knowing
how soon the hungry pack would find
her, was more than she could endure.
And then she thought Of poor Harry, and
Of the land sale, and she wished for tn
the skins ofthe wild beas+s that were so
near her. For thoush the wolf skin is
of little or no value for the ordinary pur-
poses 10 which furs are applied, it is In
considerable demand for lap-robes. And
remembering that ne was on the lee
ward side of the wolves, she dug away
the snow at one end of her burrow and
looked ont. Then, growing bolder, she
crept out TO clump Of little bushes
near by, through which she could plainly
see them. For by this time ithad ceased
showing, and the moon was shining
though the wind still blew.
She eveled her gun at them two or
threeitimes before she could get courage
enough to fire. AT the first shot she kill
cd one, and the pack scattered little,
but the smell Of the fresh blood of the
dead wolf brought them back again.
Several times she fired with like success.
But one Of the wolves, In moving round,
caught sight of her. When a wolf sees
euy living object he Immediately endeav-
ors TO get TO the leeward oft, in order to
tell by the scent what it is. A wolf de-
pends on his nose in such matters, and
not altogether upon his eyes. This one,
when he caught sight of Polly, COM
menced to make a circle in order TO get
where his nose would inform him what
kind of an animal she was. Crowding
the ball down quickly she fired j st i'll
time 90 keep the wolf from finding her
out aud calling the rest OF the pack with
his howl. The wolf rolled oyer in the
snow.
Another one came near running right
on her but she fred in time to save her.
self. But this last fright alarmed her so
that she did not fire again until she had
climbed tree. From this point she kept
up a fire upon them till daylight, when
they left. AS the result of the nights
work, Polly found that she had killed
nineteen yvolvoe, aad froaen one OF her
fingers almost off. Two Of the wolves
had been torn by the others, but there
were seventeen tolerab good skins.
Before she dared undertake to skin
them. she found ii necessary to have q
fire to .keep her hands from freezing. BY
whiting thin Eastwood shavings from
her unacceptable, aud taking cotton from
her clothing, she was able TO start fire
10y striking percussion cap in the midst
of bunch of cotton with little powder
scattered through it. II took her till noon
to take the skins from the wolves, am by
the middle of the afternoon the severe
cold bad frozen the lake in its narrowest
part, SO that she ventured to cross. In
order 90 take her wolf-skins across, she
was obliged to make little sledge Of the
crotch of a small tree. OF course there
had Deen great distress at home on ae-
count 5t her absence, and great was the
joy at her return.
On the next Monday she put her furs
on a sled and started to ST. Paul When
she got to Mankato, she took load of
wheat for st Paul, & ttirg a good round
price for hauling III Arriving IN the
city, her first care was 70 find Harry and
to cheer him up, which she did most eff
fectuaDy. He said her merry laugh was
better shan all the medicines IN the world.
She told Harry that if she could get a
load back she thought her furs would be
sufficient to pay for forty acres, and the
other one hundred and twenty they would
have 10 let sold Van Dyke" as she called
him, h ave.
"And so you've turned teamster, have
you, little woodchuctl' said Harry. rals-
ing himself Up in bel
Anything to save you and the old
home, Harry"
That day she sold her furs. What was
her surprise TO find that the rare and
beautiful silver black fox was worth. not
only ten dollars, but sixty-five For the
average value of black or sllver-gray
skins is fifty dollars aud hers was an I'M
fine one And then, too, the
demand for minks had
carried them up to three times the pricS
offered by Van Dyke, and even her musk
rats were worth twice wha. he had offered
and she got we'll paid for Ter Wolf skins.
And to this Harry back pay, that he had
Just received, was added, and there was
more than enough to enter the whole
claim When Polly got home, she did
not tell any Of her neighbors that she had
stopped ar the land-ofiIce OF ST. Peter. on
her way back, and entered the claim
And Van Dyke, who did not know that
she had taken a load both WAYS, nor how
many furs she had, came over 70 see
Harry, who was now able to walk about.
'Mr. Strader,' said he, II suppose you
will be able to empt forty acres Of
this, and ! mean TO buy the other three
forties. Your sister has been little sau
cy, but | want to ob1ge you, and if you'll
let me buy in this forty with the house
On, don't mind paying you little some.
thing to start you on new claim"
81 couldn't make such an arrangement,
IT." said Harry.
|'WhTEn said Van Dyke.
Because my sister, whom you tried to
swindiel entered the whole claim on her
way back from st. Paul. And now. sir,
here is the doorw and the crestfaIlen
land-shark" left Edacard Eqglestoa. in
,e Cf0r y9 fbs Wooy