The Mena star., 1898-12-21

 pack kept the position directly under me, now springing upward more than his length, then tumbling back upon his mates that crowded beneath him, now standing upright on his hinder feet and paving the air and snapping his fanged jaws viciously. While he was in this posture l fired one barrel straight into his mouth.
 The recoil almost unseated me, but recovered myself with no greater mis- hap than losing the toys out of my pocket. The big wolf made no motion but to sink in a lifeless heap with the back of his head blown out. The others scattered n little, but presently re- turned, sniffing at their dead cornrade and tapping his blood. Poor Dolly got cruel bite from one that spoiled her beauty forever. Another nosing jack in-the-box unlocked the lid, whereup- On the little imp filliped his snout, and could not help laughing at the fright it gave the great cowardly brute.
 l fired the second barrel at the old grandfather as he warily slulked past, beyond the others, and the charge broke his back. He writhed about, bit ing the wound a moment, and then, dragging his paralyzed hinder parts, crawled out of sight The others were getting somewhat shy, but plucked up courage during the cessation of hostili- ties, while l reloaded, and then came close under me again.
 A kt,.J ..I. right, and the fourth broke the shoulder of another as he ran. He retreated to safe distance and amused himself with his wound. while the unhurt sur vivors stood off, now regarding curious ly their dead and wounded companions, now me, with growing respect, and evil dently doubting whether it was worth their while to continue any longer in my neighborhood.
 When my gun was reloaded I settled the question for them with two shots. The first one bore such a hole in the belly of one that his entrails dragged upon the ground, and the second stung another so sharply that he stood not on the order of his going, but made off in all speed in company with his un- scathed comrade, while the fellow with the broken shoulder hobbed after them, and the other poor wretch tried to follow them, turning now and again to bite his own entrails, entangling his feet and catching on stubs and stones.
 Evening was already deepening the forest shadows. and I had little time fn in f< f1,a ,.rnf flaC brute, but when got to the ground I hastily loaded my gun and finished him with a shot in the head.
 Then, picking up the toys and taking my course by the compass and the even- ing star, I held forwerd at such speed as the rough and darkening way would permit. Fortunately, the almost full noon was well up in the clear sky, and l had little difficulty in finding my way down the mountain and reached Brad ley's before their early bedtime.
 Little Molly Bradley prized the doll all the more for the scars which proved her hairbreadth escape, and her brother looked upon the jack-in-the-box that had scared wolf as hero as doughty as Jack the Giant Killer.
 Their father seemed to doubt my story till I led him to the scene of my adventure the next morning. and showed him the four wolves. for we found the broken-backed patriarch af- ter short search.
 When we returned with the pelts the Christmas dinner was ready for us, no mean part of it being the cartridges, much more nicely cooked by Mrs. Brad ley than I could have done 1t ca the tree stump had l been obliged to.
 When Iwent home the next day there was a full pouch of buckshot in my pocket, but found no use for it.-Row- land Robinson, in Chicago Inter Ocean.