The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-10-05
What the Wolf Did,

0i7au What the Wolf Did. iy.aJ
We were standing at the window
watching Lion, the house-dog, burning
bone in the dead leaves near the fence
''Why does he do that?n asked M,
little cousin.
"Animal instinct, replied nv father
to whom the question was addressed
=" He has more dinner than he cares r.
eat just now, and so puts away some fol
the next time. Other animals do, thu
same thing sometimes. I once knew ar
old lady who when child had a singu.
lar adventure in connection with this
| same instinct"
Of course there was an immediate de.
mand for the story, Father teased MS
for little while, and then he told it. as
follows: f5I777 -
Sixty or seventy years ago, nv
friend father was a pioneer in the re-
gion bordering on the Ohio River. He
and his son were cutting wood in the
forest one day. and Polly, then a little
girl OF five years old Or so, was playing
near them while they worked. When
the time came to go home Polly was no.
where to be seen,'-
That's strange" said her father.
!" She always obeys so well. / don't see
how she could have strayed off,
"1She wouldn't have gone home with
out telling us, said her brother. sLooki
here's her sun-honnet full ofnuts. She
must be somewhere around tat
''They looked again and again in every
direction, calling, Polly! Polly all in
Vain. There were no Indians living
near, but wolves and panthers were
plenty, and only the winter, before. the
father and son had killed two bears Il in n an 4,
attack on the cow-hoilse. So they began
to feel seriously alarmed.
Presently the brother, lotokino
about. espied an odd-iooking
heap OF leaves on the further slope of the
hill, where no wind could possibly have
tossed them. He wentto have a closer
look at it. Carelessly throwing aside a
portion of the heap, he uncovered. To
ms Joyful surprise, bit of .Polly's red
frock.
Father, come here, he called, and
in moment more they had the child
safe and sound, but fast asleep, in their
arms. 'd5 "a 1881 yh1 lit, iiisilj
'f'That's strange said her father
once more. John, take Polly home.
m going to stay here and see If I cari'tl
ind out what this means She. never.
covered herself up this way, I'm certain.
Comes back as quick as, YOU, can .iand
bring your rifle with you. Here, hand
ne mine before you GO . T" s4L5'' u 'k- n
$50 saying, he piled the leaves up
leatly once, more, putting a small log Of
wood into the place where the cliild had
ain. He then crouched down behind "a
a; allen len tree % near by TO see see what would
..'He did not have long to wait. John
lad scarcely had time to return, almost
nut of breath with the haste he had made, 4
when the soft patterof paws was heard
m the dry leaves, and they saw three |
ray wolves approaching at full trot,
With another slightly in advance leading
he way.
1.-The wolf in front led his Comrades
traight to the heap of leaves, and
cratching eagerly, quickly uncovered |
be buried log. His disrnay was almost
omical to behold. He shifted : and !
melled and turned his head this way
nd that in utter bewildernient. How
ainty little girl, plump and soft, and |
lst suited to the taste of a wolf who
njoys good dinner, could suddenly
lrn into a great .uneatable log of wood
as too much for him to understand.
le finally gave the problem up in des-
air, and turned to his companions, cow,
ring like beaten hound.
fIhere were some sharp barks of dis
opoirtment, followed by snarls, as the
lree guests, who had eyidently been
dden to feast which was not forth
'ming expressed their indignatin1 at
le supposed hoax.9itAa t1 rs,lt.s..t.f
:" The other wolf onl.,-- wh:.sed dole
lily, but in vain. s:oi. the three fell upon |
m, and - 4ess time than it takes to tell
ID, tore him into pieces, and began to
'vour him. They did not finish. the
eal. however, for the two rifles behind /
e log cracked once and again, and all
rec wolves lay dead beside the com
de whom they had punished so terribly.
9 l have every reason to believe this
Dry literally true, /" continued my fatlf- p
:; .'and the other dayI told it to Mr.. :,
S, Ellis, the well-known writer of
ofies of Western adventure. !3il9i ri
:" have no doubt it happened just as /,
u heard it." he said '.The incident |
uncommon, but not unknown in nat
al .listoryr,t Ny grandfather knew a j
mberman who went to sleep in the
,ods in Northern New York, and was |,
1akened by a panther. covering him I
tn leaves. He lay still till the animal | j
t through and went off, wien he
nped up and left too. He didn't wait 4 /,
the panther to come back. ."-Har- i
RS Young People Fhs'l i'7.44 #J4 3ii3 a
The bullet with which Charles S.
Il'ton was shot at Salt Lake, iclose on IT,
rec years ago, was, recovered the. other
y, the lead falling into his mouth.
e bullet struck him in the back of the 1
ad, about an inch, from the ear. and,
ing through a thick bone at the base i
the head, passed and lodged near the
per part of the nostrils. He bled for
~ 3 ~ n