The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-04-14

as he approached the other shore aud
saw by the moonlight several of the
gaunt creatures awaiting him on that
side. What should he do? No doubt
they would soon muster boldness to fol-
low him upon the ice and then his fate
wosld be sealed in moment.
In the emergency he thought of the
axes and taking them from his neck cut
the cord and thrust his walking stick into
one as helye, resolved to defend HIM
self to the last.
At this instant he espied among the
thick, upheaved ice-cakes two great
fragments leaning against each other in
such way as TO form roof with some
thing like small room underneath.
Here he saw his only chance. Springing
within he used the ak to chip OFF other
fragments with which 10 close up the
entrance, and almost quicker than il can
be told had thus constructed sort OF
fort, which he believed would withstand
the attack of the wolves. At nightfall
the weather had become colder and he
knew that in few minutes the damp
pieces of ice would be firmly cemented
together.
Hardly had he lifted the last piece 10
its place when the pack came rushing
about him, swapping and snarling; but
at first not testing the strength of his in
trenchment. When soon they began to
spring against it and snap at the corners
of ice, the frost had done its work, and
they could not loosen his hastily built
wall.
Through narrow crevices he could look
out at them, and at one time counted
sixteen grouped together in council. AS
the cold increased he had to keep in
motion in order not to freeze. and any
extra action on his part increased the
iicrceness of the wolves AT times they
would gather in circle around him,
and after shifting at him eagerly, set up
a doieful bowling, as if deploring the ex-
cellent supper they had lost.
Ere long one of them found an open
ing at "A corner large enough to admit its
head; but Evan was on the alert, and
gave it such blow with the axe as to
cause its death. Soon another tried the
same thing, and met with the same re-
ception, Withdrawing and whirling
around several times. and then dropping
detu Win broken skull.
One smaller than the rest attempting
to enter, and receiving the fatal blow.
crawled, in its dying agony, completely
into the inclosure, and lay dead at Evan 3
feet OF this he was not sorry, as his
feet were bitterly cold, and the warm
carcass of the animal served to relieve
them.
In the course Of the night six wolves
were killed rs they sought to creep into
his fortress, and several others so seri-
ously hacked as to send them TO the
woods again; and however correct the
notion that when on the hunt they de-
your their fallen comrades, in this ease
they. did no such thing, as in the morn
ing the six dead bodies lay about on the
ice, and Evan had the profitable priyi-
lege of taking off their skins.
OF his thoughts during the night a
quotation from his diary is quantity sug-
gestive and characteristic:
Il bethought me OF the wars of Glen
dover. have read about, and the battle
of Grosmont Castle, and | said: i am
Owen Glendower; this is my castle; the
wolves are the army of Henry; but | will
never surrender or yield as did Glen
dower.'n
Toward morning, as the change of
weather continued and the waters of the
river began to diminish there was sud-
denly prodigious crack and crash of
the ice-bridge, and the whole mass set
tied several inches. At this the wolves
took alarm and in an instant fled. Per-
haps they might have returned had not
the cracking Of the ice been repeated
frequently.
AT length Evan became alarmed for
his safety, lest the ice should break up in
the current, and Drinking his ak to bear,
soon burst his way out and fled to the
shore. But not seeing the ice erumble
he ventured back to obtain the other
AK and then fastened home to his en-
ployer.
During the day he skinned the wolves
and within fortnight pocketed the
bounty money, amounting in all to about
one hundred and fifty dollars. With this
money he made the first payment on a
large farm which he long lived to cult
vate and enjoy, and under the sod of
which he found a quiet grave. : Wade
AUake