Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-09
Unto Death.
Look!

A gaunt, Shambllng Wou Wnlcn nus
been making erratic circles on the prai-
rie suddenly stops, lifts his nose high
above the grass, and snutfs the air In
every direction.
Harki
A long-drawn howl sound which
rasps on your nerves and brings chill.
The honest growl of the tiger would be
music in comparison. 1t has no honest
echo, but you hear the r-r-r-r-r sneak
ing across the half-mile of prairie to
find evil company in the thickets be-
yond.
The echo is hardly lost in the pines.
before it is caught up and sent back by
q dozen throats, and q moment after
pack Of wolves break cover and race
across the grass to join the lone animal
which sent forth the rallying call.
Skulking-malignan There
are beasts which will look you square
in the face. The wolf never does.
Restless eyes-uneasy bodies-lolling
tongues-yellow fangs!
The pack head across the prairie to
the South, shifting at the summer
breeze as they run, and at each long
leap their eyes grow fiercer and clots Of
foam fly from their red mouths to blotch
the velvet grass. 1t is trail they are
following, and the scent is fresh.
Come on!
1t is q strange sight which meets our
eyes. Lying stark and stiff on the
prairie, fingers clutching the grass and
look of agony on the face already
turning purple under the hot sun, is the
body OF hunter. Dead? No need to
ask that when you have seen the terri
BILE hole in the breast, and the
blood which has welled out and soaked
the grass and changed the color Of the
flowers. His rifle lies at his sids-his
pack at his head. No accident2 Per-
haps yes-perhaps no. There is one
who could tell US II he could but speak.
"Here, dog!''
Lying beside the dead-rising quick
ly up as we approach-is the hunters
friend and companion-a grand old
dog. He looks straight into our eyes.
If we have come to bury the dead with
kind hands, it is well. II we have come
to rob the master-beware! There is
Courage and Fidelity and Determina-
ton.
Hush! The dog wheels about and
faces the north. A sound has reached
his ears which sets his eyes afame and
raises every hair on his back. Yelp!
yelp! yelp! 1t il the wolves-the pack
which picked up the trail he had made
as he went to the north in search of
water.
Now watch!
There are twenty to one, and the
scent of the dead adds to their fierce
ness and daring, but as they advance
to within ten PAGES Of the dog every
wolf comes to stop. Standing with
his fore paws on the breast of the
corpse. the dog growls q warning at
each and every one before him. He
could run away and save his life, but
the base idea never comes to him. He
will fight the whole pack-he will die
defending his dead!
See! The wolves huddle together for
q moment, as il in consultation, and
then they break up and form circle
about their victims. Tho dog wheels
slowly, growing his wrath and utter
ing his defiance. Even now he could
break through and escape, but he will
not. Of sudden the leader OF the
pack dashes at him, but he returns to
the hecircle-whipped-bleeding-venge-
full. His place is filed by three COM
panions, and for q moment the corpse
is hidden from view and the uproar is
frightful.
Grand old dog! They have tasted of
his blood, but he has sent them crawl
ing back. Placing his paw again on
the breast of the dead he growls def
ance to the last
1t is over! At signal the whole cir
Gle closes in, and the struggle is ended
and the feast begins. There is tear
ing Of flesh-a low growl of satisfac-
tion-and it is scarcely five minutes be-
fore the last wolf has vanished from
sight, leaving only the stains of blood
on the grass for the vultures to look
down on.