Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1895-04-04
NILES OLD TIMES.
His Wolf-Hunting Steer and Bear
Killing Wife.
Wolves Prowied 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 Octogenarian Cuthbert
Miles in his snug cabin near the head
OF 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 to
peddle them among the backwoods
towns during the summer.
""Fore got to be widderer, forty
five years ago an better" the old bas-
ket-making recluse went on, me an
my oil woman. lived down the creek
ycnder, couple O miled, on NICE
clearin', but it got lonesome down
there when she died, an so come up
here an put up this cabin, an here l
ben ever sence. When we lived on the
clearin' it KEEP us busy a good deal O.
the time fightin' off bears an wolves
an painters. l had two-year-or
brindle steer that was the greatest
wolf fighter any body ever heerd on In
this country. We didn't think nothin'
o. seein' wolves prowlin' around the
clearin', an they killed every dog
we'd git, jist as reg'lar as we got 'em.
But they found out by an by that
they better let that steer alone. He
was nice an fat, that steer was, an l
knowd the wolves had their eyes on
him, for it was cold winter, an the
snow was deep, an the wolves was
powerful hungry. One mornin' | 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 | heerd tremendous
hellabaloo in the log shed where |
KEEP that steer. The steer was beller-
in as If he had belly full O the most
gripin' ache that ever griped, an
mixed up with his bellerin' could
hear a snappin' an snarlin' an
growlin' that l know'd didn't come
from no belly ache.
"'Wolvesr says I. "A passel O. blame
hungry wolves tryin' to chaw up that
steer!'
THAT was enough fer me, an
,struck gallop an started to give the
steer lift ag'in 'em. slung the door
open. an there I see one big wolf with
its fangs socked plumb inter the steers
nose, while another un, bigger yet, was
sgnashin' away at one O. his Hanks.
The steer was rushin' around the shed,
bellerin' an snortin' an tryin' to
whang the wolf ag'in the log sides o
the pen. lie did whang it, too, but the
wolf had got few doses o the steer IS
blood, an he hung on like leech onto
swelled leg.
"There was little yard to the shed,
with log fence round 1t, an when
the steer see the door open an me
tapdin' by it, he made spring fer it
and come bouncin' out inter the yard,
fetchin' both wolves afyin' with him.
the one hangin' to his nose and tother
one fast to his flank, an stickin stralght
ont in the air as the steer come out l
Grabbed the wolf that had holt O. ths
Steers nose an shet both hands around
his throat. chokin' him all | knowed
how. | squeezed him SO bad that ne let
loose O. the steer, wriggled an Kicked
an, scratched himself loose from my
clutch and then turned on me. lie
sprung straight fer my throat. Now,
toll YOU. had time a-fghtin' that
wolf off! AS soon as the steer 1ound
be was free from the wolf that had
him bv the nose he jist turned an
snread himself ag'in t'other wolf. lie
shrck Il loose of his flank, an as he
done It he ketched the tarnal varmlnt
on his horns. He chucked 1t up IN the
air rll bet We, twenty foot, an as II
turned n summerset up there an come
down ag'in the steer was ready ier IL
an, ketched it square on his horns
ao,in. heerd sumpin' rip an tear
Then see the wolf go up IN the ar
or,;n an shower O. blood come a-pour.
;n, down from him. The steer had
fxed the wolf SOS it want no use Ter
nothin' any more 'cept for fodder for
hogs. s,,;.o ., me
hav;n, INV hands more'n full fghtin
,he wolf that was tryin' t make me
sorrv had mixed in with the light an
sn,;,ed his chance o maxim his break
fast on the steer. My clothes was al
tore to tatters, an was blood ron
bsad 70 foot: an all my own blood, too
that the wolf had drawed outen me
by his claws an his teeth, which ht
,ra,rY noways shy in usin', -
hut KEEP a-ehokin' OF him, ~
by got him SO could giy
ol'soundin' toss, an thl
the steer ketched TOT
ripped it from A t9
my stren'th in the I
an slammed itsf ~
one side,
aLaf ,,rnl-1N