Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-08-06
ismal howlings to have been the boots Of

| ing of the underbrush as the wolves, an
swering each other. drew nearer and
nearer the road, along which ran the little
boy. A few minutes more brought the
whole pack down upon him. and bursting
through the bushes in front, on either
side. came the gaunt. hungry beasts
Grasping his flaming brand firmly. bis
only protection now against the savage
brutes, he swung it round him, now on
one side, now on the other, and ran stead
| iIy on. The wolves dashed about him,
bowling their fiendish ''whoo-O-o, savage
with hunger, and only kept at bay by the
circle of fire around the painting little
figure.
| Sometimes as he swept the precious
torch from right to left, it came 10 con-
tact with the nose or side of some wolf
little Drawer or little more hungry than
the rest,-and the singed varmint fell
back with snarl, to give place to anoth-
err.
Still he ran on, with his fearful escort
all about him.
Was he frightened? He would have
been if he bad had time to think about it,
dreadfully frightened | have no doubt !;
but he had room for only two thoughts: to
till he was through the woods.
The snow was only an inch or two deep
and did not seriously impede mis- progress,
snow had drifted slightly, one of his
shoes, loosened by the running, came off.
Of course there was no thought of STOP
ping tor it, and ON he went, wishing that
the other would come off too, so that he
might not have to run so unevenly. He
was aware in a moment more of slight
cessation OF the tumult, and looking back
for just a glance from the top of
the lutte knoll beyond the hollow,
he saw, against the white back
ground of the road, the whole pack in
confused heap, fighting and snarling
over something in their midst--the shoe
which he mad just lost. That gave him a
moments advantage and renewed cour-
age, and he had reached the foot of the
long hill from the top of which he could
see his home, when he heard the pack
after him again, bowling with renewed
| rage at their disappointment at not find
ing as much nourishment as they expected
in the poor little shoe.
Only this one hill to climb and he would
be out in the clearing and almost home
but the hill was long and steep one, and
his breath was gone. He could not run
another step.
No use to shout Daddy and Lion were
by the fire with the door fast shut and
at the clearing Besides, if he had any
breath for calling he would have used it
for running. If he tried to hurry a rod
further up the steep pitch he knew he
should fall, and then-Cold as it was,
streams of preparations were running
down his back.
The only thing to do was to 90 slowly,
since he could run no longer; and so,
with that yelling pack circlng round him
at every step, he quietly walked up the
hill, never ceasing for an instant to keep
Mrs. Merrill's brand sweeping from side
to side. This must have been trying
quarter of an hour, during which he
slowly mounted the long hill.
At last, after it seemed to him he had
been walking for years, he was at the top
and passing the last pine tree between
him and the longed- for home. There
was the house, with "a light shining from
the warm and safe shelter within. After
u bit of level ground, gentle downward
slope led to the door-yard. The breath
he had lost had partially returned, enough
at least tor him to break agaiu into a run
AS he felt the descent beneath his feet he
expended some of that precious breath in
IA great shout, and ran on faster and easier
now, swinging his shortening brand and
looking no longer at the dark forms thai
darted in front of him, but at the deaf
home-light ahead.
Yes, they had heard him. There was
the door open and Daddy looking out int
the darkness. His ear must have caught
the sound of the bowls at the same in.
slant that Davld's shout reached him. tor
he had his gun in hand. Another cry
from the boy and old Lion sprang from
the doorway and plunged barking down
the ward; Daddy followed with an en-.
couraging shout
The wolves, only brave in the woods
aud cowed already by the light from the
open door, now not far off, and the giant
banks of old Lion rapidly approaching
hesitated, stopped and scattered and. by
the time that Daddy reached the boy, not
one OF his unwelcome companions but
had got under cover of the woods again.
David never told what happened when
he got inside the house, and so mag
inc he cried little. If he was toe
tired to romp with Lion. | am sure he
made him understand he was very glad tc
see him. all the same.
As soon as Sunday was over the whole
neighborhood turned out for big vol
hunt and seventeen wolves were killed,
the last, believe, that ever troubled
them.
When David walked down into the
woods with Daddy, on Sunday morning
they found his lost shoe, chewed out Of
all resemblance to a shoe by the hungry
varmints that had good Mother Merrill to
thank for the loss OF a heartier supper
that night.-Good Cheer.