River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-08-24
WHAT HAPPENED TO
THE VOLTS UNCLE
BY William D. Hurlbert.


THE chipmunk was curled up on
log in the sunshine fast asleep,
and the Canada Lynx's youngest son
was watching him. The Kittens eyes
were cleaning. His ears and his tail
twitched nervously, and he was crawl
ing nearer and nearer-slowly, stealth
lily, step by step. And now he gathered
himself for a spring, crouched for an
instant on the ground and jumped.
The Chipmunk struggled for moment
and lay still, looking up piteously into
the excited eyes that were glaring down
upon him.
Mother" called the Kitten, come
here. I've got a nice, fat chipmunk.
There was a rustic among the dry
leaves and the Canada Lynx came run
ming through the woods. The Kitten
turned his head to look at her. His
paws relaxed the least bit, the Chip
munk gave a wriggle and twist and
in another second a little striped body
had vanished down hole between the
roots of birch tree.
ooh! OH" cried the Kitten, "he's
got away!"
He poked his paws into the hole and
pretended that he was still trying to
catch the Chipmunk, but he could no
more have followed him down that mar
row, winding burrow than he could
have curled up like a bee inside of
moccasin flower. He was ashamed of
himself, and rather frightened, too, for
his mother was apt TO be severe with
him, and he knew that she would be
very much Disguised.
you're a great hunter, you are"
said she, scornfully. Cant you hold
onto your game when you've caught
it?"
The Kitten began to whimper. 81
couldn't help it," said he. Il just looked
around to see if you were coming, and
he wriggled right out of my paws"
"Stop that crying" said the Lynx.
I'm going to give you whipping, and
if you cry III whip you all the harder.
I'm the first place, you had no bust
ness to touch the Chipmunk at all, for
he belongs to the Backwoods club"
Here she gave him a box on the right
ear that send him sprawling.
"In the second place, when you do
catch things you must hold onto them" "
Here she gave him a box on the left
ear that sent him the other way.
'And in the third place you mustn't
call me to look at your game until you
have made sure of it,
And here she gave him good, old
fashioned spanking.
The Kitten took it manfully, but
when it was done, he said: Mother
1 don't see why you should be so an
cry"
I'm not angry said she. "I'm only
trying to teach you what you mustn't
do Did you ever hear about the VOLTS
uncle, how he called some other wolves
to eat deer, and how the deer was
gone when they got there, and what
happened to him?'
NO. said the Kitten.
SWELL" said his mother, 'T'll tell you
about it, and maybe it will teach you to
be careful"
And this is the story that the Canada
Lynx told to her youngest son:
at was good many years ago, and
At that time there was a big pack of
wolves that used to hunt all through
these woods, from here to Lake Supe-
rior.''
"Was it the same pack that chased
the Buck and the Doe?" asked the Kit
ten.
''Yes," said the Lynx, but you
mustn't interrupt. In winter l often
saw their tracks on the snow. Some
times I heard them bowling, and if
thought they were coming my way |
would hide somewhere and wait till
they had passed. They got awfully
hungry before spring, and ] wasn't go
ing to take any chances with them.
Zone day just after the snow and ice
had melted l was lying in the crotch
Of a tree on the north shore of the
GiimmerglaSs. where the bank rises
high and steep from the very edge of
the water. | hadn't seen or heard any
thing of the wolves for some time, and
/ wasn't thinking of them or of any
other danger, but as | lay there half
asleep | heard a little noise up the
runway, and two men came in sight
carrying rifles over their shoulders
Just then a big buck came up from
the other direction. When he saw the
men he was so startled that he stopped
short right there in the runway. 1t
was only for a second, but il was just
a second too long. Both the rifles
cracked and the deer dropped dead
The hunters skinned and dressed him
and then talked about what they had
better do with the carcass. They were
4
they did not want to take it with them
Lets hang it up in n tree, out
of the way of the wolves said one
we can stop for it as we come back
"'An right said the other, and they
tied the bucks hind feet together with
a piece of his own skin and hung him
to the branch of a tree that stood on
the very edge of the bank. 1t happened
to be the same tree that | was hiding
in. and as soon as they were gone
scrambled down and began my din
ner While | was eating | beani the
faintest rustic among the bushes and
there stood a wolf. 1t was the uncle
of the wolf that you know. I've known
the whole family for years. l think
he was the very leanest, hurgriest-
looking wolf l ever saw, and he seemed
perfectly delighted when he caught
sight of that dead deer hanging from
the tree. But il was too high for him
by raising himself on his hind legs he
could just touch il with his forepaws
and set it swinging, but that was all.
Don't you wish you couid?' said
l, and 1 spat at him and told him to get
piece of birch bark to stand on"
The Kittens eyes sparkled.
II wish I'd been there, said he.
BE STILL said his mother. and he
subsidized again.
just you wait said the wolf, and
off he went at the top of his speed
knew what he was after, and | ate as
fast as 1 could. He would be back be.
fore long with the whole pack and
might have to take to the tree agar
TO get out of their way. But they mus
have been farther away than / hat
thought, for it was nearly an hour be,