Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-07-04

toned us children ~ closely
A series Of wolf ~ followed
one Of them about who ha
q narrow escape from SoIf whic
had sprung at him . III nigh
on the public highxaya
| "You see, chiIdren ~ canno
be too careful, /" said na1zk ~, as sh
rang the bell for the n|5 10 brin,
in supper.
While We were sill khe table
Ole johnson, one of ~ ~ hands
came in from the NJ led an,
stood in the doorway ring.
"It mighs II ~ sep tn
dogs indoors tonl1 u.
..t:s I'll. Z
"No; bnt I heard them awhiI'
ago" ]" replied Ole.
"Take Ajax into the servants
| hall, "said mother, ssand Hector
may sleep in the nursery"
To have Hector in our room
seemed to us boys the safest, most
delightful thing imaginable. We
were quite sure he was the strong.
est dog in the world, and could dis
pose of twenty, aye, q hundred
wolves.
AS we went up to bed, however,
our courage was somewhat shaken
by the distant bowling we heard,
and when Hector came upstairs
with Marit, the nursemaid, we
screamed aloud with fright. We
actually thought the wolf had broken
in.
Long after we crept into bed we
lay shivering with cold and dread,
until finally the warmth of the fire
Marit had kindled pervaded the
room, and the cracking flames min
gled with Hector's heavy breathing
lulled us to rest.
How late it was when I started
up in q panic of terror I cannot
say. A confused blending of snarl-
ing and bowling filled the air, and
on the window was plainly outlined
the huge, dark head Of some ami
NAL, with wide-open jaws.
Clapping my hands over my eyes
! shrieked ont. Marit was aroused
by my cry. and coming to my bed
side asked drowsily what was the
matter.
"Look p I cried, pointing.
At this moment Hector, for it
was his head l had seen, barked
loudly, and standing on his hind
legs, with his fore paws on the win
dow sill, made desperate effort to
see through the frost-painted glass.
Moving toward the window Marit
cleared space and stood peering
out into the night. In an instant
/ was at her side, barefoot and
trembling. To my dying day l
shall never forget the sight we saw.
In an open space on the hillside,
north of the parsonage, . dark mass
was writhing and tossing on the
snow amid snarls and howls that
rent the air like the roar of o dis
tant waterfall.
'Wolvesv murmured MART, grasp
ing my arm.
Just then mother opened the door
leading into the hall, and Hector,
darting past her, sprang down the
STEPS and was only stopped by the
front door.
Mother gave orders to put the
children's clothes on, and it was
not long before every one in the
house was dressed and at the win
dow commanding . view Of the
struggle.
Famous for all time in the parish
will be that battle fought between
six or seven wolves and the fiercest
dogs in the vicinity. Long-drawn
howls, shrill, excited yelps and
smothered groans woke the echoes
Of the night. quivered in every
limb as / watched the thrilling
spectacle presented by the strong
gaunt wolves contending with the
small dogs that sprang into the air,
came floundering down, rolled over
and over and darted forward again.
Suddenly . man was seen run
ming from the servants hall. II
was Ole johnson.
Father threw open the window
and peremptorily ordered him Il
no back into house.
sAiax 10 with me, cried Ole, halt