The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1878-10-23

was full Of the smoke of the roast
ing meat, and the smell maddenec
the famished beasts, who each hac
tasted but a morsel Of the flesh.
There was a window in the
washshed, for which there was
no shelter.
"They will not find it," whis
pered Greta. "The bushes cover
it,"
The children crept noiselessly
into the shed, carrying the guns
with them, their eyes fixed On tho
square open hole, for which they
had no defence. The barking and
yelping Of the wolves were at the
other end of the house,
But suddenly a crash was heard
among the bushes, and one, two
a dozen heads appeared at the
open window.
Peter fred. There was a yelp
from two that were hit, and the
pack .:retreated for a moment
The next moment, the whole
pack, discovering the opening,
rushed to that side OF the house.
The window was full of g!eaming g
eyes, and fierce, open jaws. Again
and again the boy fired, his sister
loading the guns for him. But
they were too slow. One great
gaunt wolf leaped through the
opening. The others tore at each
other in their fury to pass. With
out was dark bowling mass.
ITO the loft ! To the loft u
,shrieked Peter, retreating, still
firing, towards the ladder. But
Greta, gone mad with terror, as
he thought, rushed past the wolf
seizing box, in which she kept
her wax doll; her Sunday ribbons,
all her most sacred treasures. 1t
was a heavy box, but she lifted it
and carried it to the ladder. The
wolf sprang at the boy, but Peter
had the. strength. Of two men
that night. He dealt him a stun
ming blowon the skull with the
butt end Of his gun, and had
reached the ladder before he re.
covered.
By the timo the children gained
the loft, the kitchen was filed
with furious, snarling pack.
'lf l could cut away the lad.
der! If | had hatchet or a
knife r' cried Peter. "There is
no way TO- keep them down p
He stood in the trap-door, dealing
blow after blow with his gun,
They had left the powder,aand
shot below. The boys strength
was going; the open-mouthed
beasts were endeavoring, by means
of the ladder, to leap into the
loft. He looked at Greta, who
was kneeling before her box,
taking out her gilt-clasped Bible
No. wonder the child had gone
mad.
She sprang to her feet at last
Peter, seeing what she held IN her
hand, gave a wild yell.
The freworks--the precious
crackers, and candles, and torpe-
does, which their father had
bought. from the pedler, to fire of
on Christmas day
"A match! Acb, u.ein Gott, il
we. have no match |"
= But there was one in the depths
Of Peters pocket, and the next
minute small red mass was
lowered into the midst of the
pack. They stopped to sniff at it.
Then. was an explosion. The big
torpedoes went off like cannon
The crackers hissed and sputtered
A dazzling glare of red and blue
lights filed the room. Pop
Bang! Bang! Yelps of terror from
the wolves, shrieks of triumph
from Potter. In less than a min
ute, the burned and frightened
pack had cleared the window and
halted in the yard. Peter ran
down the ladder, flung another
box of blazing crackers among
them, and followed it up by more
bullets.
The children at last found
means to barricade the window.
and did not dare to open it until
the sun was up.
Their father and mother re-
turned soon after dawn. Maria,
| En1;or tho uoo6 hiocked hV the