Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-07-23

VIII ms lHOutn Sai'SA NiOS Siei LIS Aitt4c
twinlzling eyes disappeared.
.'Glad You did. Jack, slap in couple
O dabs' o. that pancake mortar-this
fellow seems to appreciate my cook
| IN"
by the way" put in Miller, as he
set couple of huge cakes sizzling,
whats Your name when you're at
home? Mine is Miller"
Mines Tom Welsh, otherwise Mosi-
nee Tom"
I've heard of you," said Holland.
"As was sayin', thinks I'll jest drop
in on EN-. So built fire an l says
to Zip: Now Zip, Of boy, you better
hug that fire purity close r the wolves
IL pinch v''-an' come down"
Glad Y did" said Miller. I'm feel.
| ing kind o lonesome these days"
"Lonesome.' the old fellow laughed.
"W'y, young man tramp from here to
Lake Superior an never see human
bein' from one months end to another,
and l don't know what lonesome
means o, of course, when it's handy
like to drop in this way an have q
| little confab-but that amt gittin'
lonesome
20, it amt eh?" said Miller, ironical-
ly. well that's the way feel when I
get lonesome. How's that f'r n mouth
ful?" he said, as he slid a huge cake in
to the strangers plate.
Bout my size" caclzled the old fell
low, and he cut it into quarters and
rolled it up like quilt. In fact no
kept Miller turning cakes till he cried
out: Look here, You must be holler
clean to your boot heels"
Supper being over, they drew round
the fire and lighted their pipes, and
the old hunter told stories of the woods.
He knew the woods as the Indians
do. He could map the whole land in
the ashes of the hearth and he general
lied shrewdly about the wild life.
"A good many yarns about bears an
wolves an painters and links (pan-
theirs and lynXes) is all bosh. Bears an
links are mostly jest as glad t git out
| o your way as you are to git out their
way. They don't turn on a man unless
their young uns are with ON, or you
corner 'em, or when they're mighty
hungry. Most any crittcr II fight in
trap, but in free space it's nacherl FIR
EN- t run off the minute they see
man. Same way with painters in day
light, or night either. They jest puck
a-chee when they see yeh."
Ever had a tussle with emp"
80 yes, but I've never had 'em turn
on me except when l began the fuss,
Then they'll fight f'r dear life jest like
o man will"
"How about wolvcs?" asked Miller,
with significant look at Holland, w no
| had wolf stories to spare.
The old mans face grew grim and he
drew several whiffs from his pipe be-
| fore he answered.:
Evolves are different; they're vicious,
no two ways about that. They mean
fight"
Especially when a lot of EN- git to-
gether."
The old man went on:
evolves amt cowardly, as some
folks say. They've got sense and
Judgment. They know how to size up
the other fellow so'st not t. tackle n
crowd they can't whip. They're all
fired smart, wolves is. They don't
walk into any traps, but they'll eat
Teller up quicker'n lightnin' when the
chance is good. They don't walk into
trap and they don't bluster-they
mean biz"
He sat with his pipe in his mouth, his
hands over his knees and his eyes fixed
on the fire. His voice began to take on
a reminiscent tone.
| The sound of the wind in the pines
with somber note, and Holland
stirred up the fire in the vast fireplace
till it roared louder than the wind.
The hunte. resumed after knocking
the ashes out of his pipe and putting it
away.
Give been chawed by bears, and
clawed by wildcats and catamounts;
| I've had a buck deer trampin me into
the ground; but l never had VOLTS
gone. They don't make no mistakes
When they take hold it's after tal<in'
oil the chances and calc'latin' { win
Now bear II git blind crazy with n
bullet, an go in where he is sure to get
used up; SO II a painter r wildcat;
but your wolf, he knows better; he
| don't go into no such business; he iests
limps off in the woods and swears
vengeance"
Holland here related a story Of
| siege by wolves through which he had
been. Long Tom listened with an oc-
casional corroborative nod.
chats jest it; they're sharks.
Seems if they can smell sick or
wounded man ten miles. used to live
down in Portland when l was a boy,
an know what shark Is. A shark
is q wolf in the water. A wolf is a
| shark In the woods"
A curious look came on his face, and
after a silence he said:
''lf they ever set tooth in old Tom,
he'll know his time has come to go"
II should think you'd keep out of
their way if you're afraid of them"
said Holland, cautiously.
The old man Strengthened up. His