The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-01-17
A FURIOUS FIGHT.
A Night Battle with Wolves in a
Norway Hamlet.

My father was a minister in the
small parish of Upper Rendale, in
Norway. When we first settled in
Upper Rendale parsonage the parish
had been for years unmolested by
wolves. The old fence hat had once
protected the dog kennel had fallen to
decay, and it had not been tn fought
worth while to have it replaced.
We had two dogs at the parsonage,
Ajax and Hector. Ajax was common
hare hound, white and black saddled.
He was medium-siZed and the most
spirited animal have ever known.
We small boys had many a merry
frolic with him. Often when we had
bounded far beyond us to fetch a ball
or a stick one of us had cast he would
lie down, his head between his paws,
his eyes beaming with ROBUSTNESS. to
wait till we caught up to him. As soon
as we were near enough to touch him
he would dart nimbly away, and so he
would keep it up until we dropped
down. unable to take another step.
Then he would roll on the ground with
us, bubbling over with mirth. He was
never known to snarl or snap at us,
40 matter how rough we might be.
He flew at every dog, large or
small, that appeared on the road.
Swift as lightning, with jaws that
gripped like a wise, and with an in
domitable will, he usually came off
victorious. When he did get into a
pinch, Hector came growing to his
,apa,,a md tlat .,.slol 81
Hector was a large yellow st. Ber-
nard OF the long-haired kind. We chill
dren rode him, drove him, and did
pretty much as we pleased with him.
He followed us like a shadow. The
approach of strangers was usually
announced by him with a few gruff
banks, and then he permitted Ajax TO
furnish the rest Of the music. Smaller
dogs than himself Hector never
harmed, and larger ones there were
not for miles around. For Ajax he
cherished a faithful, patient friend
ship. At night Ajax slept in the dog
kennel. while Hector kept guard out
side.
One cold, star-lit evening in Feb
ruary, 1858, my brother and /, two
small boys, were coasting on the hill
north of the parsonage, our pointed
caps drawn down over our ears, our
fingers protected by coarse wooden
mittens. The crisp snow creaked and
groaned under our heels as we went
up the Mill, and shrieked beneath the
steel runners of our sleds as we made
our daring flights downward. Sharply
IAEral nbal
nov by the moon, and Hector and
Ajax, our constantc companions, looked
with intelligent eyes at the fairyland
scene about us.
From n parsonage ~woodshed stole
the lurid glow of the pine torch. The
steady sound of chopping there gave
us that comfortable sense of security
the nearness of people always brings.
Otherwise the surrounding stiffness
was undisturbed. save by the OCCASION
al grooming of some heavily-laden Vt
hicle on the ROAD or the slamming of a
door in the distance.
Suddenly my brother seized my arm.
"Hark!" whispered he.
From the thicket above us a long.
hungry howl was ringing through the
night air. 1t was promptly answered
from a point still farther up the slope,
and presently from the opposite side
of the valley. Throwing back his
head, Hector listened ~intently; Ajax
bristled N growled. We boys knew
h sound and shuddered.
Lets go home" said my brother,
flashing our sleds together.
We were on our way down the hill
when some one called us from the par
sonage.
At the door father was waiting for
us. He patted Hector's head, helped
us boys put up our sleds and brushed
off the snow, and then hurried US into
the house.
THE wolves are about" he said
quietly to mother, as he took up his
paper.
She seemed uneasy and questioned
us children pretty closely. A series of
wolf stories followed. one of them
about a nan who had a narrow ESCAPE
from a wolf which had sprung at him
one dark night on the public highway.
lyon see, children. YOU cannot be
too careful" said mother, as she rsnp