The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-06-28
NILES OLD TIMES.
His Wolf Hunting Steer and Bear
Killing Wife.
Wolves ProwIed Around the Cabin TIL
the Steer Found His Mission-H0W
susan Showed the Kind OF
Woman She Was.

Woman She Was.
ut does me sort O good to git holt o
some un that likes to hear bout OF
times" said OctOgenarian Cuthbert
Miles in his snug cabin near the head
OF Indian Run, Pa, where for forty
years he has busted himself with fash
ioning willows into baskets OF various
shapes and kinds during the winter to
peddle them among the backwoOds
towns during the summer.
Fore got to be widderer, forty
five wears ago an better" the old bas-
ket-making recluse went on, "me an
INV Of woman lived down the creek
yender, couple o miled, on nice
clearin', but it got lonesome down
there when she died, an SO | come up
here an put up this cabin, an here l
ben ever sence When we lived on the
clearin' it KEEP us busy good deal O.
the time fightin' off bears an wolves
an painters. | had two-year-of
brindle steer that was the greatest
wolf fighter anybody ever heerd on in
this country. We didn't think notnin
O seem wolves prOwlin' around the
clearin', an they killed every dog
we'd git, jist as regular as we got 'em.
But they found out by an by that
they better let that stee, alone. he
was nice an fat, that steer was, an l
know'd the wolves had their eyes on
him. for it was cold winter. an the
snow was deep, an the wolves was
powerful hungry. One mornin' l got
up about sun-up, as usual, an went
out to feed the steer an the COW an
the oxen an the pigs. AS I was goin'
to the barn heerd a tremendous
hellabaloo i'll the log shed where l
KEEP that steer. The steer was beller-
in rs If he had belly full o the most
gripin' ache that ever grlped, an
mixed up with his bellerin' l could
hear a snappin' an snarlin' an a
growlin' that / know'd didn't come
from no belly ache.
Evolves. says l. "A passed. O. blame
hungry wolves a tryin' to chaw up that
steer
\
struck q gallop an started to give the
steer lift ag'in em. slang the door
open, an there l see one big wolf with
it's fsngs socked plumb inter the steers
nose, while another un. bigger yet, was
gnashin' away at one O. his TANKS.
The steer was rushin' around the shed.
beller:n' an snortin' an tryin' to
whang the wolf ag'in the log sides O
the pen. He did whang it, too, but the
wolf had got few doses O the steers
blood, an he hung on like leech onto
. swellcd leg.
There was a little yard to the shed,
with q log fence round it, an when
the steer see the door open an me
tandin' by it, he made a spring fer it
and come bouncin' out inter the yard.
fetchln' both wolves aflyin' with him,
the one hangin' to his nose and t'oIher
one fast to his flank, an stickin'' straight
out in the air as the steer come ont.
grabbed the wolf that had holt O the
steers nose an shet both hands around
his throat, cholin' him all l knowed
how 1 squeezed him so bad that he let
loose O. the steer, wriggled an kicked
an scratched himself loose from my
clutch, and then turned on me. lie
sprung straight fer my throat. Now,
tell you, had a time a-fightin' that
he was free from the wolf that had
him by the nose he jist turned an
spread himself ag'in t'other wolf. He
shuck-it loose Of his flank, an as he
done 1t he ketched the tarnal varmint
on his horns. lie chucked it up in the
air, I'll bet We, twenty foot, an as it
turned q summerset up there an come
down gin the steer was ready fer it
an ketched it square on his horns
ag'in. heerd sumpin' rip an tear.
Then l see the wolf go up in the air
in an q shower O blood come a-pour-
in down from him. The steer had
fixed the wolf SOS it want no use fer
nothin' any more 'cept for fodder for
hogs.
II seen all this a-goin' on spite O. me
havin' my hands more'n full fightin
the wolf that was tryin' t make me
sorry had mixed in with the fight an
spilled his chance o maxim his break
fast on the steer My clothes was all
tore 70 Matters, an was blood from
head to foot; an all my own blood, too,
that the wolf had drawed outen me
by his claws m his teeth, which he
want noways shy in usin', tell ye.
But I KEEP a-chokin' Of him, an by an
by got him so could give him q good
OF soundin' toss, an this was list as
the steer ketched t'other wolf an
ripped it from A to lizard. put all
my stren'th in the fling give my wolf,
an slammed it ag'in the log fence on
one side o the yard. But / tell We
that wolf was tough. lie got right up
ON his feet as If nothin' hadn't hap
penod. End come fer me ag'in as fierce
- ever. I'd . ben a goner sure il It
hadn't ben fer that Steer. He know'd
he heQ done fer t'other wolf, an he
1idnst wait fer it 70 land ar,in. but
burned A went fer the wolf that was
comm Ter me. With . heller We could
} heerd> fer miled that steer made Z
plunge. He xetched that wolf, as ve
nowt say, just about 'midships. He
ketched IS t.ith them horns, zip. nm,
he wolf was laid open like We mowt
mt : watermelon, half an half.
II want well fer month arter that.
int the steer didn't seem TO mind the
'crimmAgeA bit. Il seemed to wake
linn up to a idee that life had sumpin' |
n it that he hadn't lknowed afOre. HeI
touldnst sta1' - no more % be shet mn