Griggs courier., 1898-12-22

The bullets were much too small Tor
the bore Of my gun. therefore put two
in each barrel. with . light charge a.
shot, and descended 70 the lower
branch. where seated myself upon the
one where could get the clearest view
Of the ground.
The wolves greeted my reappeaf.
ance with chorus Of savage yelps %
they gathered eagerly beneath me.
snapping and snarling, each struggling
for the nearest place that he might be
first at the expected feast. One grizxled
old fellow, the patriarch Of the. tribe.
who had curled himself up in the fallen
treetop. to bide my downfall. now had
his philosophical patience overcome
and limped forth from his lair, sneak.
ing around the outskirts Of the crowd
with his hungry eyes constantly upon
me. The largest and strongest Of the
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 swapping
his fanged jaws viciously. While he
vas in this posture 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 lifeless heap with the
back of his head blown out. The others
scattered little, but presently re-
turned. shifting at their dead comrade
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 flliped his snout. and
l could not help laughing at the fright
ii gave the great cowardly brute.
fired the second barrel at the old
grandfather as he warily skulked past.
beyond the others, and the charge
broke his back. He writhed about, bit
ing the wound 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 I reloaded, and then came
close under me again. ,'
A third shot killed one nearly out
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 growth e respect, and evi-
IDENTIFY doubling whether it was worth
their while to continue any longer in
my neighborhood.
When my gun was reloaded settled
the question for them with two shots.
The first one bore such 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 hobbled 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 / had little time
to spare in mercy to the merciless
brute. but when !. got to the ground l
hastily loaded my gun and finished him
with shot in the head.
Then. picking up the toys and taking
my course by the compass and the even
ing star, held forward at such speed as
the rough and darkening way would
permit. Fortunately, the almost full
noon was we'll up in the clear sky. and
! had little difficulty in finding my way
down the mountain and reached Brad
ley's before their. early bedtime.
Little Molly Bradley priced 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 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 weireturned with the pelts the
Christmas dinner was ready for us. no
mean part of it being the partridges.
much more nicely cooked by Mrs. Brad
ley than I could have done it en- the
tree stump had beenobliged to.
When Invent home the next day there
was full pouch of buckshot in my
pocket. but found no use for it.-Row-
land Robinson, in Chicago Inter Ocean.