The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-07-16

climbed over the other side, to see II
there were more holes leading under 81
out. This lower hole was the old VOLTS
only door, : SO far as we could see.
The dogs would 60 into it few feet
and bark, but they did not seem oy owe,
anxious to come to close quarters with its
occupant. Old Beave charged in at once
and was greeted with savage snarl. Fol
a moment, We thought there would be .
fight. But the dog backed out, and We
didn't blame him.
We had little doubt but what the oil
wolf had whelps in there. George said
that we had better get axes, and BY cut.
ting and dragging away the old stuff
work into the den. But Willis said
"No, boys; I believe the jam will burn
If once we can get fire into 1t and well
. going, ana We can roast the old thief
out" .r
Al then got some chips and splints
which he tucke+ into the further end OF
the jam, where it was dryest, and set them
on tire with matches that he had brought
along. The fire vas some time in start
ing, but after while the old stuff got well
warmed up, and then it began to take
flame and roar. -.
"Capital! Well soon have our game,
and roasted, tool" shouted Willis.
And it seemed as if the flames roared
and began to wrap the W ole great pile
OF drift at we had got the old sttor-
ment into limbo at last, and stood a
chance of not only burning her .shouse''
over her head, but of burning her up with
it. We could hear her gro. ling at tie
fire. But she was tough and willy, and
not dispose to give in without savage
fig for life. ..... .s.,sa.@.
Just as the fire seemed to enwrap the
whole jam, the wolf made a lift bolt
out through the blaze, and, all singcd and
sparkling with fire, flew at Old jim like
a mad hyena. =
Althougb we were on the lookout, VIC
we're not quite prepared for so sudden
spring as the old beast had made.
"Look out!' shrieked AL. "SL cot I!
shoot!" VS. 5"E'
George fired-Wilts fred-Al slung the
axe, and Ned and I were bot, cooking
our guns-trying to get aim.
But the savage brute flew from Jim
across the brook towards Al. He ran up
the side of the gully, shouting, 'Eshoot!
shoot her!'' -
No wonder he ran, tor she as the
ugliest-looking thing ever saw.
She got past us Ill, and secured away
down the hollow. The dogs started after
her, at full cry, down the gully, of:
through the woods to the northeast.
We rallied, too, loaded up agar, and fol-
lowed tol mile or more. Then we lost
them from hearing altogether, and, being
now lletty tired and hungry, we went
home.
But just as George and AL and | were
finishing most hearty meal Ned came
running to the house to say that the
hounds had come around from the north
vest, within hearing again. We went
into the yard. They seemed not more
than o miles off, going in full cry to-
wards the 'pond woods"
Come On! shouted George.
Guns were brought out in hot haste,
and away we went. But after running
mile or two we lost sound of the dogs:
and it was not till near four clock that
they came round from the south end Of
the pond. Not many minutes after that
we heard the long howl OF Old Jim. TEL
was down by the east shore of the pond.
where crag, called the s'overset,n 'front.' |
ed on the water. n
Wits and George had already started to
60 down there. The rest of us followed
them round the head of the pond and
down through the woods to the .eoverset.n
George and Wits were at some distance
aheaC. ~. = =
The dogs were whining about the rock.
There was great crevice, two or three
[eet wide, between two huge roc S which
lay at the foot of the cliff Upon these.
other greet boulders had fallen down.
The crevice looked like the mouth of a
den.
1.-THE old brute is in there, sure enough! -
Wits said. 'How wish I had bucket
OF n1tro-gl ycerine to tuck in after her!"
Finally, we concluded to S. t our guns
the hole OF them-spring-gun fashion.
pointing into the crevice.
Ned went up to house about -alf q
mile OFT and got some hemp toine. While
ne was gone, the rest of us cut crotched
stakes to rest the guns in, and set EN-
in the ground around the hole. Five guns
were set pointing into the den.
When Ned came back with the tw1ne
perfect net or~ of lines was laid across |
the mouth of the den; and each of these
cross-llnes ran round stake to the trip-
gers Of all the guns. -,.-s 3d., %
1t was nice job to fix them. and
rather critical one when it came to put
ting the lines on the triggers. The guns
were then cooked. Each one had been
loaded as heavily as we dared to load
it. - ~
By the time we got our guns set it was
fairly dark, and we went off home as fast
as we could. a@'r@#-.s
Early next morning, before either
George or was up, boy from the house
where we got the Irvine came in. The
family had heard the guns go off late in
the evening. AS soon as it was light
the boy had run down and looked over
the top of the crag, and had seen the old
wolf down on the pebbles, "kicking," he
said. %
We were soon out of bed and down bv
the crag: And, sure enough, the old pest,
that had done 50 much mischief, Law
stretched out there, not "kicking,' but