San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-30
SHE vANQUIsHED THE WOLF.
Strategy Helps a Maine Woman
Out of Perilous Predicament.

Strategy Helps Maine Woman
Out of Perilous Predicament.
Lewiston Journal
One day Uncle Jonas two cows dis
appeared from the opening III the
woods about his lonely home, and no
traces of them could be gained. Aunt
Molly, as his wife was called, started
to hunt them up next morning, as the
men of the family were away. Leav-
ing the children and going in a west
erly direction, she wandered through
out the day in the dark, unbroken
forest without mouthful to eat ex-
cept few spruce buds and dried ber-
ries, with an occasional handful of
ground nuts, which grew in great
abundance on the lowlands.
The sun was fast sinking, when, to
her great joy, she discovered the lost
cows quietly grazing on q small grass
plat near Crooked river, some four
miles from home. With all possible
haste she drove them along, hoping
to reach home before dark, and as
she had no guide, not even spotted
trees, she had to trust wholly to the
instinct of the beasts.
Their course often seemed to her
exactly the opposite to right, still her
practical knowledge taught her it
was best to let them have their own
way. When near what is now known
as the Pine House, on q ridge covered
by growth of gigantic pine, both
cows gave loud below, as if from
fright, and broke into furious gallOp
in the direction of home, now half a
mile distant. Pausing to ascertain
the cause of their fright, she was con-
fronted by q wolf.
The wolf at once made q spring for
her face, no doubt intending to grab
her throat. With the skill and fury
of an expert boxer, Aunt Molly dealt
him a stunning blow with her brawny
and hardened fist, which sent him
back upon his launches. Again and
again the starving brute leaped for
her throat, but each time was met by
both fists and feet with sufficien force
ing it was now life or death, the heroic
woman found herself fast growing
weaker, while the attacks of her ad-
versary grew more fierce.
Snatching her tattered shawl from
her head, with a desperate leap she
threw 1t over the head of the wolf
with a dexterity which was not only
to the wolf, but herself al
so.
This piece of strategy had the effect
to bewilder the wolf. He leaped wild
ly about, vainly endeavoring to rid
of his incOnvenient heed gear.
while Molly lost no time in climbing
to the lower branches of tree and
out of harms reach. When
the wolf had rid him
self of his temporary blindfold
and sufficiently recovered his equi-
librium, seeing his intended victim
beyond his reach, he at once set up
the most demoniac bowls of rage and
disappoin tment, occasionally venting
his spleen by furious attacks upon the
trunk of the tree and tearing the
rough bark with his long crooked
faDgs.
Here she remained until the return
of day, when the wolf skunk away in
the direction of the river. AS soon as
she thought him at safe distance,
Molly nearly furnishing and benumb-
ed by cold, fastened down and sped
for home as fast as the condition of
her cramped limbs and chilled frame
would permit.
She found the children half fright
ened out of their wits, as the arrival
of the cows is so great agitation had
given them the idea that their mother
had been devoured.