The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-03-28
NILES OLD TIMES.
His Wolf-Eunting Steor and Bear
Killing Wife.
Wolves Prowled Around tho Cabin TIL
the Steer Found His Mission-Eow
Susan Showed the Kind of
Woman She Was.

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
Joining willows into baskets of various
shapes and kinds during the winter to
peddlc them among the bacliwoods
towns during the summer.
"'Fore got to be wildcrcr, forty
five years ago an better" the old bas-
kct-maliing reclusc went on, "mc an
ny OF woman lived down the creek
gender, n couple o milcd, on NICE
clearin', but it got lonesome down
there when she died, an SO l come up
here an put up this cabin, an here L
ben ever scncc. When we lived on the
clearin' it keep us busy Il good deal o.
the time fightn' off bears an wolves
an painters. 1 had Il two-ycar-ol'
brinollc steer that was the greatest
wolf fighter anybody ever hcerd on in
this country. We didn't think nothin'
o. secin' wolves prowlin' around tho
clearin', an they killed every dog
we'd git, iist as regular as we got 'cm.
.But they found out by an by that
they better let that steer alone. He
was nice an fat, that steer was, an
1now'd the wolves had their eyes on
him, for it was Il 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 was goin'
to the barn l hcerd tremendous
hellabaloo in the log shed where 1
KEEP that steer. The steer was beller-
!, in as if he had belly full o the most
gripin' ache that ever gripcd, an
mixed up with his bellcrin' 1 could
'hcar q snappin' an snarlin' an n
growlin' that I know'd didn't come
from no belly ache.
'Wolvcsr says l. "A passed. O. blame
hungry wolves tryin' to chaw up that
stccrp
That was enough fer me, an I
struck a gallop an started to give the
steer lift agin 'em. l slung the door
open, an there I see one big wolf with
it's fangs socl1cd 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,
bellcrin' 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
asswellcd leg.
There was little yard to the shed,
with log fence round it, an when
the steer sec the door open an me
tandin' by it, he made spring fer it
and come bouncin' out inter the yard,
tfetchin' both wolves ahyin' with him,
the one hangin' to his nose and tother
one fast to his flank, an stickin' straight
ont in the mir as the steer come out. I
grabbed the wolf that had holt O. the
tstecr's nose an shet both hands around
Ids throat, cholsin' him all 1 knowed
how I 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. He
sprung straight fer my throat. Now,
Igtell you, had a time a-fghtin' that
wolf off! AS soon as the steer found
he was free from the wolf that had
him by the nose he jist turned an
spread himself ag'in t'other wolf He
shucl1 it loose of his flank, an as he
done it he l1etched the tarnal varmint
on his horns. He chuclscd it up in the
air, I'll bet ye, twenty foot, an rs it
turned summerset up there an come
down ag'in the steer was ready fer it
an ketched it square on his horns
ag'in. I heerd sumpin' rip an tear.
Then see the wolf go up in the air
ag'in an a 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 'ccpt for fodder for
hogs
81 seen all this a-goin' on spite O me
havin' my hands more'n full fghtin'
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 to tatters, an 1 was blood from
head to foot; an all my own blood, too,
that the wolf had drawed outen me
by his claws an his teeth, which he
want noways shy in usin', tell We.
But KEEP a-cholin' of him, an by an
) by got him so could give him n good
OF soundin' toss, an this was jist as
the steer letched 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 1 tell ye
that wolf was tough. He got right up
on his feet as if nothin' hadn't hap
pened, and come fer me ag'in as fierce
as ever. I'd n ben goner sure if 1t
hadn't ben fer that steer. He know'd
he had done fer t'other wolf an he