The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-09-03

gobbler stubborn to manage, and Satur-
day would be market day, and then she
planned to sell him 80 she left him to
his tree in peace.
But alas for the gobbler Pierre was
not afraid of him. 1t was OF no use for
him to glare at Pierre, nor to distend his
scarlet wattles, nor draw his feathery
shoulders up about his ears. Pierre had
him off the tree and swung him about and
twisted the breath out of his body before
the old bird really knew what was the
matter; and, this being the main object
of Pierre's visit to Mother Michaud, he
now slung the limp and humbled gobbler
over his shoulder and set off at lively
pace across the fields to the highroad.
81 must hide him somewhere" said
Pierre to himself as he hastened along,
"and then tomorrow night we'll all get
in Banots stone barn and roast him.
That will be great fun. I've a great
mind, though, not to let Martin come.
He's mean leave me to do all the work,
aud then think that he's going to get all
the'-
Pierre never finished this sentence. He
stopped quite short in what he was saying,
and he stopped quite short in the middle
of the road. He seemed to have heard
something that somehow did not please
him. 1t was cry somewhere across the
fields and in the woods; cry like some
thing between snarl and bark. Only
once it sounded, and then everything was
still again; but Pierre knew what it
meant only too we'll, for he had heard such
cries before.
"Wolves said Pierre. And then
away he sped down the long road at
much smarter trot than he had been 60.
ing, as you may we'll believe. Thud,
thud, thud, went his bare feet on the
ground and thud, thud, thud, went his
heart as it knocked against bis side. Fast
as he flew he did not 60 so fast that he
failed to hear another dismal, long-drawn
howl in the dusky woods on his left, and
presently this was echoed on the right.
Hungry bowls they were, and, although
wolves are cowardly creatures, and wait
for the pack to gather before attacking
anybody in an open road, yet they would
not have much fear of one small boy (;
and this knowledge gave added swiftness
to Pierre's bare feet, and made his heav-
lily throbbing heart throb yet more heav-
lily, till it sounded in the boys own ears
like the beating of drum. Afterward
it seemed to Pierre strange and I'M
heard of stupidity on his part that he did
not once think of climbing tree. There
were certainly plenty of them, and some
of them were good trees to climb but
the truth was that fright had dulled
Pierre's commonly sharp wit, and his only
idea was to run like the wind straight on,
and leave the wolves behind him.
l.
now, and there were more of them. Pierre
was certain that he heard one in that
thicket at his left by the very border of
the road. On rushed the frantic boy. His
hat had gone, he stumbled and nearly fell,
but recovered himself and flew on wildly /;
for he saw in the edge of the wood two
spots, like glowing Goals of fire, and only
far too we'll did he know what they were.
And now, behind him, one or two shad-
owy figures left their lurking places in
the bushes and crossed the moonlit road.
Things began not to look quite so funny
to Pierre as they had done. The laugh
would have been quite on the side of old
Mother Michaud could she have seen him
then.
Two good miles it was from the old
woman's cabin to Pierre's home. Two
miles And he had scarcely travelled one
of them. The glowing eyes were now
more than two, and the wolves, grown
drawer as their number increased, no
longer lurked and skulked, but boldly
took the road behind Pierre. He gasped
and painted and almost strangled in his
, awful fear. 1t seemed to him that al.
: ready he felt the hot breath from those
horrid mouths on his bare heels. Just
then he happened to have lucky thought.
, Without pausing an instant in his flight,
he flung the poor old gobbler behind him
among the wolves. 1t was only drop in
the bucket, still it delayed the snarling,
, fighting crew and gave Pierre one minute
before they were following at his heels
again. One precious minute, and in that
minute the old scboolhouse was in sight
, 1t no longer looked "scarey" to Pierre
| it looked like hope of life and safety if he
could only reach it. He wondered if the
, teacher could have been so gloriously
, careless as to forget to lock the door. He
, sprang at it and gave it frantic shake
1t was locked. He shook again he flung
? himself wildly against it with all the
, strength he could muster. The frail old
lock snapped and gave way, allowing
. Pierre to fall inward, nearly fiat on the
{. floor. The door always had a trick Of
4 sagging on its hinges, and this rough
treatment did not better it. Pierre
pulled and jerked; but it was no use
8 The door stuck stubbornly, two-thirdl
s open. The pointed noses and cleaning
D eyes were on the very doorstone. Pierr,
!. cast one wild look about the room ant
9 saw--the stove.
Q 1t was tall, old-fashioned wood stove
b like an enormous bandbox, the top raising
q like cover. Swift as lightning fiasl
Pierre darted across the room and liftet
Q the stove cover. The wolves were al
Q about him now; one snapped at his bar
n heel as he climbed the stove; but up h,
= scrambled and down he dropped inside
y sending great cloud of ashes above hi
y head. One dark paw was already resting
Q on the edge of the stove when, bang, dow
came the cover, and the sound wa
6 answered by wild howl of pain and rag
a and baffied hunger from the red throat
% of the hideous crew, as they leaped ant
II sprang vainly about the friendly old stove
d with Pierre inside it.
"a Never, so long as he lives, even If h
!. chance to live to be hundred, will Pierr
10 forget that night. Half stranged wit
d ashes and nearly fainting with fatigu