The Penn's Grove record., 1897-03-05
SIMON'S NEMESIS.

and l knew OF no reason why the
wolves should DO hungry. Green's
Timber is the name given to a particu-
larly thick piece of jungle forest near
the banks of the Snake river in Idaho.
/ was thrusting my why through the
the brake and thinking of anything
but wolves, and particularly of the
dear girl whom I had walked some
miles to see that morning, and of the
many sweet thugs We had said to each
other. Amy Treloaven was a dear
girl and l bad known it for a long
time, but she had been my dear girl
for only a week, and naturally my
head was full of her as l tramped
cheerily Eomeward. When l saw q
long-coated grey form steal away
from a glade as 1 entered it I scarcely
marked the occurrence. I was in no
killing mood that day, and l made no
attempt to stop Mr.. Wolf with a bull
let from my express. But when l
heard the fall of soft pads behind me
q little later I turned iu as
constituent to see the great beast
tracking me with stiff tail and tongue
hanging out. l saw the brute's blaz-
ing ayes and muscles stiffeued for a
spring. I barely had time to draw n
pistol and fire. When it wanted scarce
ly an hour to sunset another strange
thing happened to dispel my conf
dence. I had left the forest aud had
already made some way into On ex-
tensive prairie, through which my road
lay, when there fell upon my ear the
unmistakable yelp, yelp of n pack in
full cry. looked round, and saw
close to the edge of tho forest n
swiftly moving pack of dots that l
knew well enough represented thirty
or forty wolves coming IN with char
acteristic eagerness. They were two
miles away, rs the crow flies, but
about four miles back upon my trail,
which 1 could see plainly they were
following. In less than half an hour
they would catch me up, and there
a no place of refuge within reach
except the swampsl
The swamps that lie along the Snake
river are a terror to all who know
them. In them the poisonous Crater
moccasins live and thrive like mites in
a cheese. Unlike most snakes, this
reptile is credited with a spiteful ag-
g~ressiveness that makes it far more
dangerous than others of its kind.
According to all accounts, the man
who entered the swamps ran the con-
tinual risk of being assaulted and even
pursued by the deadly reptiles, and it
was our universal practice to give the
place a wide berth. But with SO GER
tain and imminent n danger behind
me l was ready and almost anxious to
take the risk.
There was deep wading and some
swimming to be done. Once, when l
clutched a tussock of grass to steady
myself a snake reared its head within
o foot OF my hand and Kissed venom
ously.
A howFofd disappointment told me
that the pack had arrived at the mar
gin and dared go no further. 1 had
terrors enough for that day and was
particularly glad to reach home
about s o'clock. 81 thought you we're
lost" said Simon, my chum, with a
scared, white face that gave me a con-
siderable shock. He looked more ter
rified than l had a right to feel, and l
told him SO. He spoke with eyes
averted; as he reached down the
plates for supper they clattered
like castinets. When 1 had changed
my wet garments for dry ones, and
when a steaming hash had been placed
upon the table, l began to relate my
adventure.
spoke but briefly OF having seen
Amy. Only a week ago he had seen
almost as much of her as ], and l had
a suspicion that her engagement to
me was a sore subject. When / men
toned her name I noticed that he ap-
peared to have a difficulty in swallow
ing his supper. La~ccordingly hur ried
on to tell about tho wolf in the wood,
"What a strange thing" he said,
turning away his head and speaking
constrainedly. 81 suppose the beast
was mad. Been eating stale flesh,
likely"
Then 1 told how 1 had seer the pack
on my trail four miles behind. He
got up from the table with clenc6ed
fists. J
Glow did you get away?" he asked.
I told him the rest.
"Whati Come through MoccasiI
swamp" he calculated. SIT swarm(
with snakes. No man has been through
it before" III. voice broke into 4
wall, and he threw himself into his
chair. 1t struck mo that he spaksfSi
though he was disappointed at my$g
cape.