Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-05-03

of large pine forest. 1t was fifteen
miles to the nearest town, and ten te
the nearest settlement. There had
been, year or so previous to our locat
ing there, a saw-mill two miles far
thrr up the mountains. An old house
was vet standing there, and beaUti,
fnl spring dubbed out of q bank about
thirty va. d5 away. Above this spring
grew the finest Wild cherries | ever
saw. One morning. about the time
these cherries were fairly bursting
with ripe juice, NY brother Frank,
three years younger than myself, and
[ asked our mother to permit us to
take or basket and go to this spring
10 gather some of the fruit. We knew
that children accustomed to walking
as we were could walk the few miles
gather our cherries, and return by
diunertime. Mother, being very in
dulgcnt, soon gave us permission tc
go. SO, taking our basket, we start,
ed followed by our little dog, Pansy.
A brisk walk soon brought us to the
spliag. We had nearly filled our bas
kct with cher les W hen we heard Pansy
give low whine of fear, as she came
scampcring toward us. Frank cried
out: "Why, Pansv, what's the
and then stopped, for we both saw
coming through the bush toward us
two large, lank wolves, of species
known as the great dusky wolf. They
we're not fifty steps from us, and were
coming on at a languid pace, for they
had not yet seen rs.
"Qnick, Frank" cried, "let us gel
into the house!'
"Oh but tie doors are shat and fast"
he painted, shaking from head TO foot.
yes, but the Window! the opcr
window"
We started for the house as fast a,
we could so, but the wolves, who had
by tlli, time discovered us, now came
for us, with loud howls of hunger,
On We ran. scarcely knowing what We
did.
Just as We reached the window We
heard poor Pansy give Il yell of pair
only one and then I was inside.
and vainly trying to pull frightened
Frank in. At last, with n scramble
he tumbled in. Now, this window wai
only q half window, and had been fas
tened wi h heavy wooden shutter and
sliding fastenings. The fastcnings haG
slid, letting the shutter fall inward or
the floor As Frank scrambled to his
feet | graSped the shutter and was lift
ing it to its place, when Frank cried out
"Oh, poor Pansy! poor Pansy! Let
her in don't shut her out!"
| knew oar periious position better
than he did, and did not stop to an
swer, but placed the shutter in its
place, and slid the heavy fastcnings
against it--not any too soon, for at that
moment the bowling, hungry wolves
dashed against it with such force as
to make it crack and spring inward.
| had presence of mind enough tc
throw my weight against it, to hold it
in place for the time being, but it was
fortunate that the VarmintS did not
prolong the attack, or the rotten old
shutter would have surely yielded tc
the pres sure of their wild leaps. They
soon abandoned this, and went howl
ing about the old house, as if in search
of some way to get at us.
What do you think has become OF
Pansy? Do you suppose they caught
her when We heard her yoll?" asked
Frank.
"Of course they did, replied, "and
if they hadn't stopped to eat her they
would have caught us which would
certainly have been the case.
"Oh, I wish they'd go away" moaned
poor Frank.
"If mother gets uneasy she may
come after us, and then"
We heard two loud reports of fire
arms, quickly followed by another.
Running to a crevice in the wall we
were rejoiced at beholding our father
and two hunters coming toward the
house. They had been following these
same wolves all the morning. Father
was as badly frightened when We
showed ourselves as we were. / don't
know which of us was the worst fright.
ened, Frank or |, but | do know that ]
never could eat wild cherries after.
ward, and Frank says they never
tasted as good to him.-ChicagO LED.
ger.