The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-07-03

| salQ Reu, on Lne way. i nulH Sot i-o
dog, and l hain't goin' to risk NO boz
ried dog on him. Old Golden has got a
way O. borin' holes in dogs noways
| pleasin' to them that owns 'em.'
| "We still hunted for him for three or
four hours, but not sign of Old Golden
did we see. I was about tuckered out,
and Red began to look disappointed.
"'The old cuss must a heerd that
| Marcus Kellam seen him. said Red.
and has jist maturity dug out for some
other deestric'.'
"By and by Red told me to move on
until came to big dead pine tree that
stood on the side of the ridge about a
mile up the creek, while he went off
to the south and circled back again and
came out and met me.
eff he amt layin' some'rs in the
bailiwick,' said he, he has shook the
dust O. these parts off his hoofs and
left us in the lurch, certain. If you see
him, be sure you bring him the first
shot If you don't, the changes is that
he'll bore you and stamp YOU
with this cheering assurance Red
started on his course, and soon was out
of sight. 1 moved on, with no partic-
ular yearning for a meeting with Ole
Golden. l had come within sight of the
dead pine tree when 1 heard q great
snarling and swapping off to my right.
The noise sounded like a dog fight. /
worked my way cautiously through the
brush toward the spot the sounds came
from, and found that could probably
get q good sight of what was going on
from q little knoll on which there was
a group of hemlock trees.
81 reached that elevation, and peer
ing from behind one of the trees saw a
sight indeed. On the further side of the
opening, and not so feet away, was a
large rock. Backed up close to the
rock was an immense buck, with an
amazing spread of antlers. His head
was lowered until his nose almost
touched the snow. In front of him,
one well off to the right side and one
to the left, were two fierce and bristling
animals which knew were wolves, al
though had never seen q wolf before.
Some distance away, lying in the snow,
which was dyed red with blood, lay
another wolf, dead. The picture told
the story. The two remaining wolves
| made quick and savage dashes at the
buck, that sprang as quickly forward
to meet them, lunging wickedly at
them with his many pointed horns. The
| fight evidently had been in progress
| for some time. I knew that the buck
must be the famous, or infamous, Old
| Golden. My heart hammered away
| against my breast so that 1t almost
| cholled me. Although here was such a
chance as any woodsman in the county
would have given all he possessed t.,
have, I don't believe I could have
| plucked up nerve enough to take adj
vantage of it if somebody else hadn't
happened.
81 stood there behind the tree, peer
| ing at the fight between the wolves
and the buck. ! must be as pale as
a ghost. By and by my eye caught
| movement In the woods Off to the leEt,
| and glancing that way l saw a hun
ter stealing up from that direction.
He was so taken up with the sight in
the opening that he had not discov-
cred me. He was a stranger to me.
He stopped, and saw that he was pre-
pairing to do what hadn't thought of
| dcing-shoot. That decided me.
eff that man gets Old Golden,' it
flashed through my mind, I'll never
| dare look Red Drake in the face again!'
II pulled up my gun. I'll never tell
you where 1 aimed, but fired. I saw
the big buck give one great leap in the
| air and then tumble in the snow and lie
there with scarcely another movement.
The wolves disappeared in the woods.
Mechanically I glanced again at the
stranger. He still had his gun at his
| shoulder. He was looking at me. ana
I'll never forget the expression on his
face. We stood there staring at each
other, without a word, for at least a
minute. Then the hunter dropped his
gun, stepped out into the opening, and
| gazing down at the dead buck, ex-
claimed:
"'I couldn't have done it any better
myself
'Then I wilted right down where
| stood, and don't believe l could have
| got up if another buck as big and ugly
as Old Golden had been coming for
me head on. The hunter was still gaz-
ing at the dead deer when Red Drake
came crashing through the brush and
broke painting on the scene. When he
saw the hunter, Red was a sight to look
at.e
"Marcus Kellam, by fury!' he ex-
claimed. I heerd this mornin' that you
had seen him over on Panpack. 1 was
afeard I'd be little too late! And l
be!'
Before the other hunter could reply
Red saw me sitting in the snow, up
against the tree.
"' "''Twasn't Marcus that pinged him.
neither!' he shouted, rushing toward
me. 1T was you, by fury! Hooray!'
'It is hardly necessary to say that
there was great time at the settlement
when we got in with the great trophy.
There was nothing too good for me
in the county. 1 think l could have
been elected sheriff. Yet, as told them,
it was due to Marcus that l killed Old
Golden.
"'And if them wolves hadn't strayeti
in here from some'rs and cornered the
old cuss, growled Ed Quick, neither one
G you would have killed himi'
(which was probably true."-N. Y.
Sun.
Important Correction.
Under the Terror" in France, peo7