Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-06-09
The Fiddler and the Wolves.

In the early days of Kentucky
the settlers were put to great trou.
BILE by the wolves. The barnyard
suffered to great extent in the
way of pigs, calves, etc, from their
depredations, which frequently, in
mldwinter, were even carried to
the audacious extreme of attacking
human beings. Indeed, it was no
unusual thing for the belated trav.
eler to find himself surrounded by
them in the woods. Some striking
stories of hair breadth escapes and
desperate adventures belong to this
period aud condition of things. OF
somewhat amusing character was
the adventure which betell old Dick,
the negro fiddler.
He was u good for nothing old
darkey," as the word went into the
neighborhood, whose sole merit
consisted in his fiddling; but, by
the way-singular as this merit was
it in reality constituted him by
far the most important gentleman
of color within forty miles around.
The fact is, nothing of any interest
could occur without his presence.
On the occasion of grand we'd
ding festival among the colored
gentry of q neighborhood planta
ton, some six miles distant, old
Dick was, of course, expected to
officiate as master of ceremonies.
1t had been an unusually severe
winter, and a heavy snow lay upon
the ground on the eventful evening,
when having donned his "long.tail
blue" with its glittering gilt but
tons, and mounted the immense
shirt collar by the aid of which the
dignity of his official character was
properly maintained, he sailed
forth, fiddle in hand, to dare the
perils of the distant way alone; for
the younger darkies had all gone
to the frolic hours before.
The moon was out, and the stars
twinkled merrily overhead, as the
spry old man trudged away over
the crisp and cracking snow. The
path, which was very narrow one,
led, for the greater part of the way,
through the dark shadow of a heavy
bottom forest, which yet remained
as wild as when the Indians roamed
it, and was untraversed by a wag
on road for many miles.
On he dashed with unrelenting
energy, needless Of the black shad.
ows and hideous night cries in the
deep forest. Wolves were bowling
around him in every direction, but
he paid no attention to sounds that
were so common. However, lie
was soon compelled to give more
heed to these animals than was by
any means pleasing or expected.
He had now made nearly half Of
bis journey, and the light opening
through the trees showed him the
"old clearing as it was called,
through which his path led. The
wolves had been getting excessive.
ly noisy for the last mile, and. to
the indescribable horror of the old
man, he could hear them gathering
about him in the cracking bushes
on either side as they ran along to
keep pace with his rapid steps.
The woods very soon seemed to
Dick to be literally alive with them,
as they gathered in yellow packs
from far and near.
Wolves are cautious, about at.
lacking a human being at once, but
usually require some little time to
work themselves up to the point.
That such was the case now proved
most lucky for poor old Dick, who
began to realize the terrible danger,
AS dark object would brush past his
legs every few moments, with snap
ping sound like the ring OF a steel
trap; while the yells aud patter of
the gathering wolves increased
with terrible rapidity.
Dick knew enough Of the habits
of the animal to be fully aware that
to run would insure his instant
death, as the cowardly pack would
be sure to act upon him in body
on the instant OF observing any
o-ah spl,aoe..- H. evHlr