Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-12-01
what the WoIfmid.

We were standing ut the window Watching
Lion, the house-dog, burying q bone in the
dead leaves near the fence.
why does he do that Z" asked my little
cousin.
animal instinct" replied my father. to
whom the question was addressed "He has
more dinner than he cares to eat Just now and
SO puts away some for the next time. Other
animals do the same thing sometimes. l once
knew an old lady who when child had a
singular adventure in connection with this
same instinct"
or course there was an immediate demand
for the story. Father teased us for little
while, and then he told il as follows :-
sixty or 40 years ago, my friends father
was pioneer in the region bordering on the
Ohio river. He and his son we're cutting wood
in the forest one day, and Polly, then little
girl of five years old or so, was playing near
them while they worked
when the time came to go home, Polly
was nowhere to be seen.
That's strange said her father sSbe
always obeys so well. don't see how she
could have strayed off,
She wouldn't have gone homo without
telling us, said her brother. Look here's
her n-bonnet full of nuts. She must be
somewhere around
They looked again and again in every di
roction, calling Polly Polly - all in vain.
There were no Indians living near but wolves
and panthers were plenty, and only the win.
ter before the father and son had killed two
bears in an attack on the cow-house. So
they began to feel seriously alarmed. Pres
emily the brother, looking anxiously about,
espied an odd-looking heap of leaves on the
farther slope of the hill, where no wind could
possibly have tossed them. He went to have
a closer look at it. Carelessly throwing aside
portion OF the heap he uncovered, 10 his
joyful surprise, bit of Polys red frock.
Father come here, he called. and in
moment more they had the child safe and
sound, fast asleep in their arms.
That's strange, said her father once
more. John, take Polly home. I'm going to
stay here, and see if can't find ont what this
means. She never covered herself up this
way, I'm certain. Come back as quick as you
can, and bring your rifle with you. Here.
hand me mine before you 60.
80 saying, he piled the leaves up neatly
once more, putting a small log of wood into
the place where the child had lain. He then
crouched down behind fallen tree near by
to see what would happen. He did not have
long to wait. John had scarcely had time to
return, almost out of breath with the haste
he had made, when the soft patter of paws
was heard on the dry leaves, and they saw
three gray wolves approaching at full trot
with another slightly in advance leading the
way. The wolf in front led his comrades
straight to the heap of leaves, aud scratching
eagerly, quickly uncovered the buried log.
He shifted and smelled and turned his head
this way and that in utter bewiderment
How dainty little girl, plump and soft, and
Just suited to the taste of a wolf who enjoys
a good dinner, could suddenly turn into a
great UNBEATABLE log OF wood was too much for
him to understand He finally gave the prob
lem up in despair, and turned to his compan-
ions, covering like a beaten hound
There were some sharp barks of dsap-
pointment, followed by snarls, as the three
guests, who had evidently been hidden to a
feast which vas not forthcoming expressed
their indignation at the supposed hoax. The
other wolf only whined doefully, but in vain,
for the three fell upon him, and in less time
than it takes to tell Of it, tore him into pieces
and began to devour him. They did not fin.
ish the meal, however, for the two rifles be-
hind the log cracked once and again, and all
three wolves lay dead beside the comrade
whom they had punished so terribly.
Il have every reason 10 believe this story
literally true" continued my father and
the other day told it to f. S. Ellis, the
well Unknown writer OF stories of Western ad-
venture. L have no doubt it happened Just
as you heard it, be said. The incident is
uncommon, but not unknown in natural his
tory. My grandfather knew a lumberman
who went to sleep in the woods in northern
New York, and was awakened by a panther
covering him with leaves. He lay still till
the animal got through and went of, when
he jumped up and left too. He didn't wait
for the panther to come back. N r.
Harry IN Hdrper's Young People.