Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-25
GRANOMA'S
THANKSGIVING
STORY.

Captain Eddy's oldest daughter mar
ried John Pitman, and went to live With
him on the very outskirts OF the settle
ment. So John, who was a bold fellow,
put him up a log house two good miles
from Beaver Brook, and began to hew
down the trees and burn log heaps and
stulnps, and break UP the new land, like
a perfect Napoleon of the woods.
John and Sophronia We're a happy
couple, l assure you. Industrious as
bees, both of them. John used to work
hard all day. n Sophronia was sure to
have a glorious supper ready for him by
the time he came in at night.
One cold morning in the last of Novem-
Der, John went UP the river to u grand
log-rolling; and Sophronia did not ex-
pect him back until night. She was all
alone that day; and she busted herself
getting ready for Thanksgiving. which
was two days off. John had told her
that he would return in time for sup
per. and so, anticipating great pleasure
when he should come home cold and hun
cry and find the great fire blazing and
the table smoking with good things. she
went about her preparations with the
happiest heart in the world.
In those little clearings. surrounded
with the great trees of the forest, even
ing comes on d good deal earlier thar it
does elsewhere. 1t began to grow dark in
the middle of the afternoon. There was
not much snow on the ground at that
time, and the woods around must have
looked wretched. dreary and gloomy to
Sophronia, all alone in the new. log
house.
But. as I said, Sophronia was cheerful
and happy, expecting her husband: and
as soon as it was quite dark. she had a
rousing fire warming the house, and half
a dozen great potatoes roasting in the
ashes for Johns supper. Then she raked
out a full half bushel Of glowing red
Goals upon the hearth, and set the spider
on over them. loaded with several slices
of steak-venison steak-for John had
killed a nice fat doe only the day before; !
and Sophronia was thinking how nice it |
would be if John would pop into the
house just at that moment, when she
heard the howl of a wolf away off in the
woods.
sophronia listened: her heart almost |
stopped beating. She knew that John
was armed with a rifle and his axe. and
that he was bold and strong, and that
he was no more afraid OF a wolf than of
a dog; but she could not help s%huddering
as she thought of his being pursued and
attacked by a whole pack. enraged and
elnboldened by hunger.
The howl was repeated. and echoed and
echoed again in the depth of the for
est. The hideous sounds came from the
direction of the log-rolling; and Sophro-
mia fancied she heard a shout.
Sophronia thought it was Johns voice,
but as all was silent for the next min
Ute or two she thought she might be
mistaken.
Whilst she listened, another how'll
and an~otner-then a half dozen in full
chorus-came through the woods in the
same direction. You may imagine how
the young wife felt when she thought of
her husband.
Anxiety for her safety would not let
her rest: SO throwing only a thick shawl
over her head and shoulders, she opened
the door and went out. The moon was
lp. and she could see distinctly to the
end of the clearing. But nothing lived
o: moved there. All was silent. When
there amt a shout, and she knew his
voice.
He was not much more than a few
rods off. In fact Sophronia saw him a
minute aIter-ol at least saw 4 figure
emerge from the woods. at the end of
tee clearing, and move rapidly across the
white ground. Then it disappeared
AGAINST a young chestnut tree. which had
been left standing in the field: and in
sanity, one, two, three. half a dozen
Ozark objects Sided over the sward.
she was distracted with terror. She
caald not see John and it seemed to her
ttat the wolves were tearing him; that
tAty were LIGHTING over their prey.
. But when she had given him IN, and
as she staggered against the corner of
TIE house, faint and dizzy. in DESPAIR.
the woods rams with a sound which gave
her new life and made her fairly leap for
JOY.
1t was the report of Johns rife. Crack
bang: and there was an Instantaneous
glow of flame shooting downward, from
the lower beush Of the young chestnut
tree in the field.
"Ho, john" cried sophronia. louder
than she ever shouted before in her life.
The husband shouted back and said
something which she could moi unda,-
stand for the bowling of the wolves; but
as soon as these We're silent for a min
ute, he shouted again. and sh. could
make out from what she heard that he
had Killed two wolves with his axe. in
the woods, and shot one under the tree.
and declaring himself out OF peril. he
e1joined her not to endanger her health
and life By remaining out of doors that
bitter night with ravenous wolves ali
about her.
Fer the first time Sophronia perceived
that the air was mortal cold: it seemed
full of points of needles. She hurried
into the house. and sunk half dead upon
a chairs She was almost frozen.
Sounds from without aroused her. The
H0u0S seemed alive with wolves. and in