St. Landry democrat., 1883-01-06
UNCLE ZED AND THE WOLF.
A True Story

UNCLE ZED AND THE WOLF.
A True Story.
| "Baa! baa! baap' sounded in noisy,
frightened chorus underneath Parson
Darius Miller's windows one cold April
morning about fifty years ago.
| So loud and so persistent was the
| chorus that Parson Miller three sturdy
| boys were awake and on their feet be-
| fore it had grown light enough to dis
tinguish anything in the gray outside.
FEATHER. fathern' shouted James,
the second boy, Gathering down the
stairs in his heavy boots, s.what ails
the sheepP They're all huddled up
close to the house, right under your
window. Don't you hear them? Say,
father, wake up:''
In response to all this outcry, good
Parson Miller, who was Woodworking
farmer as well as q Parson, and slept
the sleep of the just, gave forth q
feeble and only half-intel1igent Eyes. "
Presently, however, he Joined the
boys, and then discovered that not all
the sheep were huddied together under
meath the windows, but that two of
them were missing, and that large,
dangerous looking tracks were all over
the light snoW-a regular sugar
snow which covered the ground out
side.
"rn bet it's q wolf,'' yentured
Daniel, the eldest boy.
.'Guess it's nothing but wild cat,
said the parson.
Too big for wild cat said Tom.
"A great deal bigger than the one
Squire Taylor caught in his trap.
Tom was the quiet boy, but some
how when Tom spoke even the older
ones paid attention. Toms eyes were
always on the alert, and though they
were of gray and by no means beau
tiful color, and were set in sallow
and peaked little face. Tom was
considered vastly good-looking boy
by all Of the family and his intimate
friends, on the principle of Hand
some is that handsome does.''
just then Squire Taylor, their next
neighbor, came tramping hastily across.
his field. his two boys. of about the same
age as James and Tom Miller, following
after him.
..Wolf tracks all around nv barn, -
said the good Squire, excitedly, before
he had come near enough to see the
sheep lying on the snow.
s.There!" said Daniel, nodding sig
nifcantly to Tom.
s.Where's the fellow gomez" queried
little Tom. who was only fourteen, and
who didn't look so old as that by reason
of his small stature.
That's it! that's it!'' cried the
Squire, Shaping Tom approvingly on
the shoulder. where's the varmint
gone? Let's track. him, to be sure.
Hullo! there's Uncle Zed."
Sure enough, old Zadok Cummings,
Familiarity known as ..Uncle Zed," was
hurrying along through the fields to-
ward them, and carr, ing his old shot
gun in his hands. The news had evil
IDENTIFY travelled fast.
'sSeen him?'' shouted the old man,
all on fire with excitement, while drops
of sweat ran down his russell face, in
spite of the chilly weather. jest tell
me what direction he's took, IN I'll
ketch him! The critter! I'll ketch
him; oh, I'll ketch himl'' And Uncle
Zed looked so fierce and funny that all
VI tiGlu DC11H W AiUS IL. Aout lucy
finally succeeded in convincing the old
man that he couldn't possibly sketch
him. for a few moments at least, and
that the case was too serious for them
to decide at once on the best course to
pursue.
Hell be around tonight. too, and
bring some more wi b him, if we don't
ketch him, : put in Uncle Zed, whenever
a good chance occurred. s. s
Two or three had started out to fol-
low the trail of the wolf, and they came
back to report that the tracks ended in
Squire Taylor's woods.
We must make o ring right around
the woods, and hem him in that's the
way" said the Squire. quickly.
Tom, standing back behind his broth
ers, was seen to nod. approvingly,
whereupon the other boys did the same.
Indeed, the proposition seemed 10 COM
mend itself to the entire company, and
they started toward the woods, those
who had not brought guns hurrying off
to get some.
I could do it it jest as well alone, y
muttered Uncle Zed. They hain't
ben no wolves around here for several
wears now, but hain't forgot how to
ketch 'em. I guess / hain't."
The men were disposed, and then
everything was profoundly quiet. ex-
cepting forthe sound OF the beating of
the bushes, or of a stray shot, when
some orer-confdent hunter was s.sure
he had him.
At last Uncle Zed heard low growl
in thicket, and he had hardly time to
raise his gun when out sprang an
enormous wolf, and came directly to-