The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-09-17

millions 81 gems ] walked : little a.
lance ajong the shogo. ed found .
rude canoe. in the bottom Of which lay
single paddle. broken midway Of the
handle. The pond. then. vas really
found. and the Captain sleeping upon
is shores all unconscious Of the fact
In rctracing my steps. while
yea 1 stood upon trs shore Of
tho water as the precise point
where l first reached IL was
sure that saw something pass between
myself and the fire. II might have
been dog; could not see distinctly.
for the opening between the trees WAS
small. I watched for moment and
Il repasscd. Then II sat down and
fixed its glowing eyes seemingly upon
myself IL might be dog. thought,
vet no dog Of ours, for none was with
US Howl. howl. howl. Good hezv-
ems! Il was wolf. then. And then
there was an answering howl 70 the
left. to the right. beyond the fire. across
the pond-on every side. one after the
other, did voice answer 70 voice in that
chorus. ] know that my imagination
doubled and quadrupled the number.
for ! have reason 70 suppose that there
were not above half = dozen in all.
But the sound was horrible to INV ears
IS IL woke the stiffness Of that lovely
night
| And / was alone on the shore Of the
pond. Whether to lire at the wolf. and
50 wake the Captain. il nothing more
was accomplished. or whether TO trust
the bowling itself to wake him. l did
not know. Whether firing would ex-
asperate, and so increase the danger.
did not know. knew nothing Of
wolves. only the little ! had read in
books. and that little was just sufficient
TO fill me with horror. So stood par
alyzed. holding my gun and doing
nothing.
The ring Of . rife. the sudden dis
appearance Of those balls Of fire which
had been fixed upon me. and the pat
of bullet upon the water. told me
that the Captain WAS awake. He
called. and answered.
II At this time we were both actually
in perfect safety. he protected by the
fire. and having the resource Of the
boat; but did not in my ignorance,
think Of the lire. and he did not know
Of the boat He rushed down. there
fore. TO protect me. and was driven
back by the hungry pack, which had
! gathered between u.s. And still the
bowling went on.
II Fight bravelyr' he shouted 81
will save you at every hazard
i, however, could only hear hi:
voice: could not understand hi,
words And the wolves came
J nearer. gathering around myself
; could see their savage forms pas
and repass between me and the fire. ans
: now and then one would sit down and
, fix his glowing eyes upon me. as in thu
| first instance. Nearer and nearer--hou
+ many | could not tell. And I couIt
see nothing Of Captain Whitney. ant
he did not speak to me again As ;
7 last resort, when they pressed me To-
closely. showed the canoe into TIL
water and padded safe distance from
shore. There was a bowling back il
the forest. and in five minutes not
l wolf in sight
Captain Whitney. believing that
I was in imminent danger. and deter
4 mining. like the roble man thu b
was. to rescue me or share my fate
had left the protection Of the fire an
4 taken detour 10 his left; his purpcs
4 being to Join me on the shore An
v now l was safe and the wolves upo
: his track. heard him halloo once
: and answered the call / could ds
Q termine that he was many rods fror
q the fire and near the shore Of tn
pond.
There was then q time Of comples
! silence. how long time will not pr
sumo TO say seemingly half an hour
{ really perhaps live minutes. | hallooc
= many times but received no answer
Neither was there howl Of wolf Tn
only voice which woke the echoes {
e that hill-bound water was my owi
IS Were | to tell what suffered in th
I. time. should tell 50 much less tha
b the truth that forbear to tell at all
n heard faint call. and looked |
8 my right. The rock rose perpendicy
larly from the water at this point. |
d the height Of twenty feet. and the
:. formed q broad ste,f. Back Of III
! shelf there was another rise pcrpendi'
u ular Of nine or ten feet, and then Il
!. ground sloped on into . ridge covere
j. with trees
Upon this shelf. in the serene mooI
} light, stood Captain Whitney. an
< around him the dark, savage forms ,
9 the wolves He had on neither ha
!, coat nor vest. and even his shirt vi
2 torn to tatters- I queried whether
2 would leap the precipice. and paddle
: in that direction to help him, in ca
7 he should venture the feat. l saw hi
!. step upon the verge and look owe
Y while be swung his gun blindly aroun
J, him. to keep of the beasts
! 1T is death II you leap" said
!, There were sharp splinter Of rock |
:, the bottom. standing out Of the waite
j Then he braccd his back against n
! rock behind him. and fought the BATH
! Such . battle; and for Two hours
i time! One, two. three. four. fiv
! II was 50 near that could couI
Z them. their long. hungry bodi'
and savage eyes And was the Gov
i ard to sit in safety. and coolly see IA
u man dcvourcd BY wolvcss Heaven
that must confess il. There he stoo
- upon the rock for two hours of tim
!. and such time! And there sat safcl
upon the water. l am sure that =