The Opelousas courier., 1889-01-12
NANCY's WOLF STORY.

W. tuss Aa0 tOAo " O V
his wife and generally demolished
things, we were sitting before a blazing
fire of pitch-pine, listening to the rain
as it battered and ratified against the
clap board roof, when the Enquirer cor
respondent asked him if there had not
been a great many wolves in that neigh
borhood when he was a young man.
"Wolves!" said the grizzly old fell
low. ''They were roaming these mount
aims in droves, and there are still a
great many in the laurel thickets. ]
will geo Aunt Nancy to tell you of an
experience we had with them in '43, if
you would like to hear it."
I replied that nothing would suit me
better, and the old man knocked the
ashes out Of his pipe and said:
I'm the winter of 1843 we were living
in this log house, which we had just
finished, and about the middle of De-
cember l found it necessary to go to the
nearest settlement, about forty-fve
miles distant, for a supply of salt and
some other things. The weather had
been very cold, and the wolves-big,
| gray fellows, not like those misera-
Bile, runy sncaks you have in
the west, which you call coy
otes-were nearly starved out, aud had
become dangerous and bold. didn't
think there was much danger, however,
and left with my two horses early in
the morning, leeying Nancy by herself
to take care of the house and COW and
u poultry. The stable in which we
kept our animals and poultry in hard
weather stood about one hundred feet
from the house, with the door at the
end facing the front door of the house.
1t was a strong log building, with a big
door which coull be fastened with a
pin from the outside. In the lower
right-hand corner Of the door was q
small hole cut out for the accommoda-
ton of the poultry; this little hole had
a big log wedge for a fastening. I
explain all thisSo you can uuderstand
more readily just what happened. OF
course I didn't know anything about it
until / returned, when / found the
stable half full Of big gray wolves and
the COW and poultry devourel. Now,
mother" said Uncle Jim, s'tell your
part of the story"
Aunt Nancy, a pleasant-faced old
lady, laid aside her sewing and picked
up her knitting, and while her still MIN
BILE fingers rapidly manipulated the
bright steel knitting needles, took up
the story where Uncle Jimmy left off.
HThe day after you left it turned cold
and the snoEebegap to fall until nearly
morning, when theSyround was covered
over a foot deep. During the night
heard the wolves bowling all around the
house in the woods, but I didn't think
much of it, as it was no oc.
currence. The next morning | went to
the stable and fed the COW and. the poul.
ny, and came out and fastened the door,
but somehow I forgot to close the small
opening at the bottom of theadoor.
Well, about three o'clock in the after
o o ] saw a tremendous gray wolf trot
out of the woods behind the house into
the opening. He sat down upon his
haIhches, and seemed to be seeming
the wind. Directly he gave a long howl,
and then another. In a minute or two
I heard a howl in the woods to the right,
and then another to the left,
until the bowling appeared to com
from dozens of them. The noise came
closer and closer until after a few min.
utes about eighteen or twenty wolves
were gathered about the big fellow, who
seemed to be q leader. They all sat o.
lay around on the snow, and appeared
to be holding a council of wal. Al
least, they seemed to come to some un-
d~erstanding, for after a little while theJ
all sprang to their feet and disappeared
in the woods. thought that would b
the last Of them, but ! was nightly
mistaken, for / had hardly closed tn
back door and gone back into tn,
house, when ] hoard the whole pack OF
the other side Of the house, neal tn
stable. The windows we had then wer,
single panas Of glass set ID the logs,
two ia front and two at the back.
looked through n of the window.
and saW the whole pack of wolves
which / counted and found to be six
teen, making their way to the stable
Just then ii struck me that I had forgot,
ten oshns tbs opening at the foot of th,
door, and I opened the door Of the house
intending TO run out and close the SINAI
opening, for ! saw that they intended
making an attack upon the animals,
Lut I waited late. 40 there were at Ieast
half 4 dozen big brutes between th,
house and the stable. They no soonei
saw me open tho door than they sprans
in the direction Of the house. and wer,
80 near before ! could get the doc
closed that another spring would hav,
brought them night upon me I WA,
pretty badly I'll htcned, but not 80 bar