The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-07-02

scorched for their holiness, and were
quite willing to keep out of reach for
some time afterward.
| Toward morning, however, the fire
was getting very much reduced for
want of fuel, and Rev. Ostrander dared
not venture beyond the treetop in
quest of more wood to replehish it. TO
stay where he was appeared certain
death also, for as the fire decreased Id
brightness the wolves grew drawer.
The dark shadows Of their ugly forms
| fitted and darted here and there around
him, making his situation desperate
and appalling. AS he turned from side
to side watching them approach nearer
and nearer, he decided upon risking a
piece of strategy.
Leading through The dense brush for
est, and but a short distance away was
a path, and he concluded to surprise
the wolves, gain that path and with
what burning brands be could collect
and carry with him to fight the wolves
with fire as he pushed toward to gain a
place of safety. Acting on this resolu.
ton in moment he had the brands In
his hands, and he sprang into the midst
of the wolves, brandishing the blazing
torches right and left, at the same time
uttering such piercing sounds of def
ance with all the power his voice could
muster, that the whole pack of wolves
ran from him like whipped ours, nor
did they venture to follow him until
long after he had gained the pathway
|
Then, apparently collecting their wolf
sense, and seeing that their prey was
likely to escape, they upbraided each
other for their cowardice, and rushed
on in one bowling mass to overtalSe
him. Rev. Ostrander, on hearing them
coming with such fury, almost gave up
in despair. concluding there was no
longer any hope, but he determined to
die bravely and nerved himself for
what he felt must be a terrible en-
| counter.
He had stepped to one side of the path
way behind some bushes, thinking at
first to let them go by, but on mature
reflection, and just as the bowling pack
came dashing down the pathway and
were only few feet from him, he
sprang right in front of them and APP
piled the blazing brands in their midst
burning mouths, noses, tongues and
heads of the leaders so severely that
they weakened and scattered in
! twinkling. Hardly had they got out of
| sight ere the minister was hurrying for
ward with all his speed to End some large
tree which he might climb, or to reach
a clearing and rouse the inmates of
house near by it. For nearly five min
utes he failed to catch any sound indi-
eating what had become of the wolves,
but at length he distinguished few
scattering bowls, ana second or two
later the forest fairly shook with
their yells. But as Rev. Ostrander
darted onward another idea entered his
mind.
The ground was covered with leaves
and they were very dry. Why wouldn't
they burn, and why shouldn't he apply
to them the blazing brands which he
held and thus check the fury of his pur-
sncrs? He suited the action to the
thought, and almost in a moment had a
line of fire Of nearly two rods blazing
across and ut right angles to the path
way. Fortunately the fire did not need
any coaxing in order to get it to burn.
1t spread from leaf to leaf with sur
prising rapidity and then It burst into
flames, and when the wolves came up
wall of fire confronted them, through
which they were afraid to venture
Compelled to halt and doubtless more
amazed than ever, the fire nearly en-
circled them before they made an ef.
fort to get out of it's way; for, with
strong current of wind, it began to
march through the brush and it's roar
drowned even the bowling of the gray
monsters, and from ten to fifteen
minutes more elapsed before they were
again on the trail OF their expected
game.
But Ostrander had not only been i'm
proving every moment in hurrying for
ward towards the clearing, but he had
applied firebrands to the leaves as he.
ran, and Immediately the pathway was