The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-05-10
NILES OLD TIMES.
His Wolf-Hunting Steer and Bear
Killing Wife.
Wolves Prowled Around the Cabin TIL
the Steer Found His Mission How
Susan showed the Kind of
Woman She Was

some un that likes to hear bout oil
times said OctOgcnarian Cuthbert
Miles in his snug cabin near the head
% 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 I"
pcddle them among the bacAw""ds
towns during the summer.
Fore got to be a widdercr. forty
five wears ago an better the old bas-
kct-Inaking rccluse went on. me an
nv oil woman lived down the creek
ycn,er. a couple - miled. on a nIcc
clcarin', but it got lonesome down
here when she died. an 80 | come mp
Icre an put up this cabin, an here !
ben ever sence. When we lived on the
clearin' il KEEP Us busy a good deal @
the time fghtin' off bears an wolves
an painters. l had a two-ycar-oi
brindle steer that was the greatest
wolf fighter any body ever heerd on in
lhis country We didn't th>lll uotnin'
. scein' wolves prowlin' around the
.lcarin'. an they killed every dog
we'd git list as regular as we got EN-.
But they found out by an 10y that
they better let that steer alone. He
was nice an fat. that steer was, an |
Ilnow'd the wolves had their eyes on
him. for il was a cold winter, an the
snow was deep. an the wolves was
powerful hungry. One mornin got
mp about sun-up, As usual, an went
ont to feed the steer an the COW an
the oxen an the pigs As was goin
u the barn | hecrd a tremendous
hcIIabaloo in the log she'd where ]
Ix,.p' that steer. The steer was heller
in rs If he had a belly full q the most
.rripin' ache that ever gripcd. an
mixed up with his bellerin' ! could
hear a snappin' an a Nnarlin an a
errowhu' that ! llnowd didn't come
from no belly ache.
...WoIvcs,' says /. 4 passol q Iramc
hungry wolves IA tryin' TO chaw up that
steer
That was enough fer me. an |
struck gallop an started to give the
steer lift ag'in EN-. sling the door
nDan. an there | see one big wolf with
its fangs socked plumb inter the steer $
nose. while another uH- bigger yet was
gnashin' away at one - ms Hanks
The steer was rushin' around the shed
beller:n' an Snortiu' an tryn To-
whaug the wolf ag'in the log slides q"
the pen. He did whang it, too. but the
wolf had got few doses % the steer :
blood. an he hung on like leech onto
a swelled leg
There was little yard to the shed,
with a log fence round it. an when
the steer see the door open an me
tandin' by it. he made a spring Ter IL
and come bounciu' out inter the yard,
fetchIn' both wolves afiyin' with him,
the one hangin' to his nose and tothe'
one fast to his flank. an Sticllln straight
ont in the air as the steer come out
,rrabbed the wolf that had holt q tn,
steers nose an 4hct both hands around
his throat. chollin' him all | knoweo
hoy | squeezed him 80 bad that he LET
loose % the steer. wriggled an lllcke,
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
,,-,lf Off As soon as the steer foun,
ne was free from the wolf THAI ha,
him by the nose he J,st turned an
..prcad himself ag'iu t'other wolf lie
bu,l, il loose OF his tlan;. an a. h,
lone it he l1etched the tarnal vurmin
ON hi, horns lie chuckcd it up in th'
.fr. III bet We. twenty foot. an "a i
.r.ned u summerset up there an conn
lnvyu an-in the steer was ready fer !
m lletched it square on his horn
.r'iu. | heerd sumpin rip an tear
..hcn | see the wolf 90 up in the nj
in an a shower q blood come a-p"ui
m down from him. The steer ha
ivcd the wolf SOS it want no use f.
rorhin, anv more 'ccpt for fodder 10
hogs.
Il seen all this a-gOin on spite q IN
hayin' my hands more'n full tightir
the wolf that was tryin' t make IN
sorry had mixed in with the fight N
smiled his chance o. maxim his break
fast on the steer My clothes was a
tore To tatters. an was blood fror
mead to foot; an all my own blood, too
that the wolf had drawed outen IN
by his claws an his teeth, which n
| want noways shy in usin', l tell V,
But | KEEP a-chol1in' of him. an 10y al
hy got him so | could give him goo
| oi' soundin' toss, an this was jist d
| the steer ketched t'other wolf al
ripped it from A to lizard put a
my stren'th in the fling give my VOL
an slammed il agin the log fence q
one side o the yard. But l tell
| that wolf was tough. lie got right II
| on his feet as if nothin' hadn't hal
/ pened. and come fer me ag'In aS herC
| as ever I'd ben gOner sure If
hadn't ben fer that steer. He know
he had done fer t'other wolf, an i
didn't wait fer it TO land ag'in, bu
turned an went fer the wolf that VIZ
comm fer me. With beller We coul
a heerd fer miled that steer made
plunge. He ketched that wolf, as y
mowt say, just about 'midships. II
/ l-ntchnh Il NTH tham horns Zinl a