Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1899-01-06
Still, 1t was likely to prove surest anc

Still, II was likely to prove surest ana
speediest in the end.
I'VE had thus been picking our why
carefully for about three hours, or. In
other words. 1t was then about ten
o'clock when the trails led toward a
narrow cluster OF trees. Up to this we
made haste and hurried through the
opening beyond, both of us evidently
being moved with the same impression
that the farther side would solve the
r,ystery Of the boys absence.
"And IL did.
"A couple OF hundred yards out In
the plain we saw solitary poplar, con.
siderably larger than the others there
about. The first thing that drew our
attention to it were the two black OBJ
jects on its largest limbs. These OBJ
jects we speedily made out 10 be the
missing children.
"But why were they there? And
casting our eyes about for the cause. il
was at once made manifest by seeing
three large, gaunt wolves sitting at
the base OF the tree. watching the
forms above.
I'VE both simultaneously looked at
the printing of our rifles, and although
the distance from where we stood was
considerable for the muzzle-loading
guns Of those days, yet we had no OPP
ton but to try. as there was no other
point Of concealment between us and
the tree bu: the place we were in.
jerome selected an immense gray
fellow as bis mark, and picke d out one
OF the others--a pure white, with black
cars and muzzlc. We each took careful
aim and fred together at the word
three.
when the smoke cleared away
from our guns we had the satisfaction
of seeing both animals rolling and
swapping their great jaws In the death
agony, and the third disappearing in
full retreat over q distant knoll.
"Reloading our guns as we went, we
hurried on with what speed we could
toward the tree, the fathers heart In
jerome being stirred to its depths by
the awful dread he felt at seeing those
motionless figures, which made no per
ceptible move at our firing or approach.
THE younger boy, Mark, was the
upperinost, and tied to the tree trunk
with his brothers belt, and, better to
secure his safety. his brother sat astride
OF limb lower down and clasped the
legs of Mark and the trunk of the pop
lar with the same embrace.
AT first. as we gazed up at the poor
children, we thought they were both
dead, but when |, the lighter man and
the least overcome, ascended the tree,
found the younger long since past all
assistance, for his body was frozen
hard. But Williams still gave out some
warmth, but quite overcome with the
stupor that precedes death by exposure
to excessive cold.
Fortunately, before leaving the
house. | had showed into my pocket
small flask of the very pnrest
Franch brandy, some of a small
quantity given to me by the cap
tain OF Jersey vessel that had Wis
tied the coast the previous summer As
best could forced a portion of this
between his clenched teeth, which
caused him to cough, and at the same
time he opened his eyes for moment
in dazed way.
Sufficient OF the liquor had found
Its way down his throat tc create gen
tie glow through his body, and after a
moment or two he opened his eyes and
cndeavored to speak, glancing up in a
mute and appealing way toward his
brother.
Ellis fingers were frozen, interlnced,
on the opposite side of the tree. but as
they were past oil chance OF being
saved, and especially as they gave him
no pain, ] wrenched them apart without
hesitation and lowered sbe boy to his
father
"As we had all we could do to carry
the frozen boy TO the house before night
sc In, we concluded TO leave the corpse
Of ittle Mark secured to the tree as he
was. There, at al events, he would be
free from any other wolves that might
dIe in the vicinity.
while old jerome built fire 10
Make warm drink for the boy William
tipped on the skins of the dead beasts
lahey we're both beautifully furred
I'D OF uncommon size. These made
)up in ball and hung them up for fety
from destruction until we came back
the following day.
"a trihe more Of the brandy and some
warm cruel brought William back to
| full consciousness and we started fol
the house, bearing him between us or
an improvised litter.
"What a night we passed, with the
wailings and lamentations of the poor
mother at the loss of one son and the
Gripping Of the other!
Having been an assistant surgeon In
my younger days, l found on examna-
ton of Williams frozen extrem,ties
hat all hie toes on both feet had &c
come off, and all the fingers of the left
hand. But managed to save the thumb
and index finger on the right one, the
possession OF which has enabled him tc
do many things that the want Of them
would have prevented him from accom-
plishing.
! "a few days after had performed
the operation on his hands and feet
(which was quite painless to the boy)
he told us that the wolves had swoopet
dowir-on them all at once from the crest
Of neighboring knoll, and in theil
laste to scramble up the tree their CUR
Awas dropped, and the vicious beasts sal
Al down on their launches to delibera tel,