River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-03-12

deer and found IL untouched in the
mornig. Yet, in contradiction 20
this excessive caution. these same
wolves might storm fenced inclosur..
or, If in great numbers, attack well
| armed men. In one ease they know tho
danger; in the other the mystery of the
things scares them.
But, as Julian went on, the omiLous
tracks became more frequent, aut III
now broke into a long. Looping run. fer
vently praying that while i'm this Gan-
gerous locality the travellers might not
he taken unawares by a suddenly gatE-
cred pack.
After going a mile or SD farther. he
turned sharp bend in the trail, and
then, To his horror, saw, not 80 yards
ahead. his parents. the sled aud oxen,
all moticnless. but surrounded by
nearly hundred crouching wolves.
ranks lay dead one.
John Meadows aud his wife sa: on
top of the wheat bags in the sled. 10
| which. having been previously re
leased from the yoke. the oxen were
tied, head on, by their trace cham.
Although completely hcmmIng the
party in, none of the wolves. for sorne
reason not Yet apparent to'JGlian, adj
vanced beyond n certain line. hui,
gazing at their hopcd-or prey
II seems that about an hour before
the boys arrival, six or eight of TIM
creatures had suddenly appc AIRED in
front of tho team, and, not daring tn at
tack without reinforcemenis, hat;
squatted down ON the trail and sent
forth that weird raIlying cry which.
passing on from ono lurE ing wolf team
other, speedily brought whole J,acI:
to their assistance.
At frs: sight of the vanguard. Mead
ows knew what was about to happen.
and, having no time TO eNhume fueI or
chop down dry tree for fire. which,
with only flint and punk, must lake
some minutes TO kindle, he instantly
drew the pm from the end of the cham
leading from the yoke to sled, let the
pole drop from the big ring, brought;
the oxen around, passed The chair &c.
tween their heads and fastened il to the
heavy runners; othcrwsc the fright
ened cattle would have stampede6 IT
which case they, as well as their ownrs
must have fallen an easy prey to the
common foe.
Meanwhile. Mt hint from her hus
band. Mrs. Meadows snatched az,
long BEDFORD. brought along t, provide
for accidents, uncoiled IT and laid the
slender rope in as wide circle .. it
would make. around the whole party.
Though these precautions had c.cu-
pied scarcely min Ite, they were lare
~ completed, when. irooping in from
all sides. a great pack of wolves ragged
around the fiimsy barrier, which. how
ever, no pIngs of hunger would have
induced one of them TO cross.
Then, after the beleaguereG couple
had again climbed on top of the lead
Meadows shot down one of the br1tes
after another until his scant supply OF
ammunition was exhausted, vainIy
hoping to scare the others away.
For half an hour before Julian ap
peared. besiegers and hesieSed had
quietly watched each other. The lat
ter sat with their backs to the boy, and
the former were SO preoecupied that
they did not see him until he WAS with
in 20 yards of the rope ring. But tl.en.
tumb.ing over ono another IN thei.
eagerness. and horribly growing. tho
whole pack made at him: while his
mother. turning her head at the rash.
frantically screamed; "0h, John! Ny
son. my soni"
NOT for an instant did the youth fal
ter; on the contrary. he redoubled his
speed ard was withi- ten yards of the
sled. when the foremost wolf. a mon
strously large Que, close up Low.
dropped dead with a bullet through
its brain. Then, clubbing his heavy
rifle, the Young hero beat down .wo
more of the ravening brutes. and the
pack, momentarily cowed, halted tor,
perhaps, two seconds.
Twas long enough. however. for now
the father sprang from his seat. AK in
hand and literally hewed his way to
the boys side, and before either had
received a scratch both were safely in
side the charmed circle.
The old-fashioned. smaIl-bore rifles
generally used at that time by back
woodsmen seldom carried less than CO
round bullets to the pound. so that
hunter might. without being hampered
by the weight, bear on his person
enough ammunition to last. under or.
binary circumstances, for several
weeks. But John Meadows. having no