Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-06-09

cnance was 10 keep them at bay b,
preserving the utmost steadines
until he could reach an old hut thai
still stood in the middle Of tn,
clearing not far off.
The wolves were becoming NOR,
audacious every minute, and rush
ed at him, swapping IA they wen,
past in closer aud closer proximit,
to his thin legs. The frightened
fiddler instinctively thrust at then
with his fiddle. The sudden SOUND
of the string caused the wolves tc
leap aside with surprise. Dick in
stantly drew his hand across the
strings, and to his Infinite relief
they sprang back and aside as il
he had shot among them. Taking
immediate advantage of this lucky
diversion in his favor, as he had
now reached the end of the clear.
ing, he made q break for the hut,
raking his hands across the fiddle.
strings at every jump, until they
fairly roared again.
The astOnished wolves paused for
a moment on the edge of the clear.
ing, with their tails between their
legs, looking after him; but he had
broken the spell By running, aud in
a moment they were after him.
Luckily the old man reached the
hut just as they were at his heels,
and, slamming the rickety door be.
hind him, he had time to climb out
on the roof, where he was compar.
ativefy ont of danger.
The wolves. thronging the int.
rior, leaped at him with wild yells
of gnashiDg rage. Poor old Dick
had managed to cling to his fiddle
through all, and remembering that
it had saved him in the woods, he
now. with the sheer energy of DIES.
peration, drew his bow shrieking
across the strings. with Il sound that
rose high above their deafening
yells, while. with his feet kicking
out into the air, he endeavored to
avoid their steel.like fangs. An in.
stant silence followed this sudden
outburst.
But old Dick soon learned, to his
increased horror, that even wolves
are too tastidious to stand bad fid-
ding, for they commenced renew.
al of the attack as soon as the first
surprise was over more turiously
than ever. When the head of IA
great wolf was thrust up between
the boards of the root, within q
few inches of where he sat, he gave
mp for a gone darkey, aud
fell to tiddling Yankee Doodle
with all his might.
With the first notes of the air
silence commenced. The brutes
owned the subduing spell, and the |
error.stricken fiddler, when he
came to himself-astonished at the
sudden cessation of hostilities-
saw he was surrounded by the most
attentive and certainly appreciative
audience he had ever played to be. |
'ore; for the moment there was the |
slightest cessation of the music,
very listener sprang forward to
'enew the battle, and set his pipe.
stem legs to flying about in the air !
again.
Bnt he had now learned the spell,
md as long AZ he continued to play
With tolerable correctness. was com.
,aratively safe. The old fiddler
orgot his terror in professional
,rlde, for he was decidedly flattered
~ snch intense appreciation; and
fully into the spirit of the
hing, played with such a gus,o and
fleet rs he Thought be never before
or even equalled. Even
he wedding, with its warm lights,
t. sweetened whisky, was forgotten
or the time in the glow of the new
professional triumph.
But, as time progressed, he I've.
'an to give way under cold, fatigue
nd exhaustion. But he could not
top a moment before they were at
i'm again, and there they pesist.
ntly sat, that shaggy troop of con.
Oissenrs, fdgeting on their haunch. h
s with lolling tongues and pricked
ara, listening to their compulsory
harmer for several weary hours,
ntil the negroes at the wedding,
ecoming impatient OF alarmed
bout the old man, came out to look
Or him, and found him thus perch.
d upon the roof of the tottering
ut, saving away for dear life.
They rescued the old man from
is comfortless position, while the