The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1883-10-06
A Curious Manuscript.

Among the manuscripts left by the
Major was the following One day
while roaming with my gun / CHANGED
to go farther than was won't, but when
turned to retrace my steps 1 dis
covered that | was completely bewil-
dered as to the proper course. 1 had
been dreaming along as l walked, for
the leaves, coloring under the touch of
the seasons first frost, the bleaching
grass, the haze overhead and the softly
l signing air-all had combined to make
me forget myself. l walked rapidly in
what thought to be home direction,
but after an hour had passed / found
that was more confused than at first.
Arkansaw was a wild country in those
days-so wild that you could sometimes
travel for days without seeing human
habitation. l began to get excited.
Any one who is familiar with life in the
woods knows that there is no feeling
like becoming excited in forest. 1t is
inexplicable-like the shaking that
sometimes seizes hunter, especially
if he be new one, when deer ap-
proaches. When man in the woods is
convinced that he is lost he feels an al
most irresistible impulse to run wild
Children have been lost in the woods,
and in half days time they are, in
some instances, so wild than when found
they will bite and scratch and scream,
even if their mothers approach them. l
felt this excitement coming on me, and
l knew that If did not do something
to counteract its influence l would go
wild. Then reflected how often had
been temporarily lost, and how at any
other time would have laughed at the
idea of running wild. thought that l
would fire off my gun, that it might
afford some relief. L looked around,
and my hair stood on end. Ny gun
was gone. 81 had it a moment ago.
thoughtfully mused "what could l
have done with it ?" and l threw back
my head and howled. 81 must not en-.
courage such outbreaks" 1 said to
myself, ''for man will go wild even in
city if he howls very much % and !
remembered that when was boy sew.
eral of my companions went wild while
shouting in admiration of a circus pro-
cession, and that the show men caught
them and put them in cages, where
they remained, even defying the recog'
milton of their parents. One of the boys
was named Luke Horn, and when his
father came along and looked at Luke
the boy held out his paw-he had paws
at that time-and the old gentleman
jumped back and exclaimed; 'Why
that devilish monkey wants to take hole
of me.n
laughed at this recollection and
got down and knawed at the root of ;
tree. Then I arose and howled.
couldn't stand on my hind feet verI
long-yes, hanged if didn't have foul
feet and tail by this time. The trutl
is, l had gradually become wolf.
feel that any one who chooses to reat
this manuscript will smile eincredulousl!
at this, and produce all kinds of argu
ments to prove the impossibility Of ;
man retrograding into wolf; ant
= probably the same man, too, may be |
believer in the theory of evolution.
shall not argue this point though, 70
in regard to my own experience an
: certain, while any one who opposes m
could only protest without proof, an,
hence his arguments would be mer
assertions ansustamed by single fact
, had not been fully developed vol
but few moments until several othe
, wolves came from the valley below an
began 10 sniff around me. When salts
4 fed that 1 was genuine they sat down
whereupon we all began to discuss .tb
e advisability of getting something I
G eat. 1t was soon decided that "
: should go down into the valley, wheI
4 there was farm well stocked wit
o sheep. The mention of sheep made m
L mouth water, for, being a wolf, l W;
q as hungry as myself. We started O
cur expedition and soon reached IL
a farm. Just as we jumped over I'll
It fence to seize the sheep man sprar
n from behind a stump and fired upon u
|. A buckshot wounded one of my hiI
N legs, and, after vainly attempting
a leap over the fence, fell among a |,
is of bushes, where lay perfectly stil
& hoping to escape observation. In tn
rs was disappointed, for the old farm
ran to me, thrust his gun between Il
bushes and aimed at my head. whin,
piteously and shut my eyes, expectil
to he blown into atoms, but the farm
a, did not shoot.
er 81 wonder what sort of "a dog a We
IS would make" said the farmer, turnil
a 10 his son. "This fellow whines
in that l don't want to finish him. ]
Id must have been led into this thin
lit Let me see if he wants to bite," and
m put his hand on my head. 1 did L
e. bite him, but licked his hand. He "
tn so well pleased at this that he took i
IT. up and carried me to the house. !
a wound was soon dressed, and after th
lst had given me something to eat f
ni- pretty comfortable. Still was W
We and, although they were so kind to n
an yet meditated revenge. wanted
on do some deviltry and then go back
er- my companions. One day, after l i
er- thoroughly recovered, the old man