The Savannah tribune. [volume] (Savannah [Ga.]) 1876-1960, 1888-03-31

were gathered about the big fellow, who
seemed to be leader. They all sat or
lay around on the snow, and appeared
to be holding council of war. At
least, they seemed to come to some I'M
Outstanding, for after a little while they
all sprang to their feet and disappeared
in the woods. thought that would be
the last of them, but was nightly
mistaken, for l had hardly closed the
back door and gone back into the
house, when heard the whole pack on
the other side of the house, near the
stable. The windows we had then were
single panes of glass set in the logs,
two in front and two at the back. l
looked through one of the windows
and saw the whole pack of wolves,
which | counted and found to be six
teen, making their way to the stable.
Just then it struck me that had forgot
ten to shut the opening at the foot of the
door, and 1 opened the door of the house,
intending to run out and close the small
opening, for 1 saw that they intended
making an attack upon the animals,
but waited late, as there were at least
half dozen big brutes between the
house and the stable They no sooner
saw me open the door than they sprang
in the direction of the house. and were
so near before l could get the door
closed that another spring would have
brought them right upon me. l was
pretty badly frightened, but not so bad
but that | took down the small rifle
which Uncle Jimmy had left, and, open
ing one of the windows, took aim at
the nearest wolf and shot him through
the head. The others sprang upon the
dead one and tore him to pieces and de-
voured him in few seconds. By this
time l had loaded the gun and fired
again into the struggling, bowling
mass.
~ must have hit one of them, for
they all set upon another one of their
number and soon had his bones picked
clean. 1 fired three shots more, and
each time l hit one of them, and every
one was eaten as quickly as the first.
l could have killed them all, perhaps,
but unfortunately in loading the gun the
sixth time got bullet fast near the
muzzle of the gun, and this stopped my
shooting until 1 could get it out. While
was taking the gun to pieces the
wolves turned their attention to the
barn, and it wasn't long before they
found the opening in the door. soon
found that they had got into the barn;
in fact, l could sec them struggling
near the door, as though they were try
ing to force their way in ahead of each
other. Pretty soon heard the chickens
and turkeys squawking, and the COW
bawling above the sounds of the snarl-
ing and swapping of the wolves. 1t was
horrible to listen to the poor COW, but
there was no help for it. 1
could do nothing but stand at
the window and listen and be-
moan the fate of our poor animals. In
a very short time noticed that all of
the wolves had disappeared through the
hole under the door into the stable,
where they were either feasting upon
poor Betty, the COW, or chasing and
tearing the turkeys and chickens, which
Still kept up terrific clatter. The
thought struck me that l might, while
the wolves were engaged in their feast,
slip out of the house and close the hole
under the door with the log which lay
Just outside, so looking around again
and seeing nothing more of the brutes
opened the door and slipped quietly up to
the barn, and Selling the wedge-shaped
log iammed it into the hole just as the
nose of a big gray fellow appeared. |
struck him with the end Of it and forced
him back into the stable, and then
pushed the log in uatil it fitted 50
tightly that it couldn't be moved, and
then 1 ran back to the house, fearing
there might be more wolves yet on the
outside, but I didn't see any more, al
though stood at the window, half an
hour
Having satisfied myself that they
were all dead or fastened up ia the
etab1e 7 stole ont again and peeDcd