The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-02-24
Still, it was likely to prove surest and
speediest in the end.

o'clock when the trails led toward a
narrow cluster of trees. Up to this we
made haste and hurried through til,
opening beyond, both of us evidently
being moved with the same impression
that the farther side would solve the
mystery of the boys absence.
Sand it 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 it's largest limbs. These OBJ
jects we speedily made out to be the
missing children.
"But why were they there? And.
casting our eyes about for the cause, it
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 manufacturing
guns of those days, yet we had no op-
ton but to try, as there was no other
point of concealment between us and
the tree but the place we were in.
jerome selected an immense gray
fellow as his mark, and picke out one
Of the others-a pure white, with black
cars and muzzle. We each took careful
aim and fired 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 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 it's 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
uppermOst, and tied to the tree trunk
with his brothers belt, and, better to
secure his safety, his brother sat astride
of a limb lower down and clasped the
legs of Mark and the trunk of the pop
lar with the same embrace.
Sat first, as we gaze6 up at the poor
children, we thought they were both
dead, but when 1, the lighter man and
the least overcome, assembled the tree,
1 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
70 excessive cold.
Fortunately, before leaving the
house, 1 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 1 could 1 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 to create gen
tie glow through his body, and after
moment or two he opened his eyes and
cndeavored to speak, glancing up IN a
mute and appealing way toward his
brother.
"His fingers were frozen, interlaced,
on the opposite side of the tree, bat as
they were past all chance of being
saved, and especially as they gave him
no pain, 1 wrenched them apart without
hesitation and lowered the boy to his
father.
"As we had all we could do to carry
the frozen boy to the house before night
set in, we concluded to leave the corpse
of little Mark secured to the tree as he
was. There, at all events, he would be
free from any other wolves that might
be in the vicinity.
"While old jerome built fire to
make warm drink for the boy William,
I ripped off the skins of the dead beasts,
as they were both beautifuiy furred
and CT Ci."J 2non size. The ade
up in L.. AID hung them up ior So iety
f1om desl. Gction until we came back
the following day.
ga trlG ::ore of the brandy and some
warm gr,. brought William back to
full cons, BUSINESS, and we started for
the house. tearing him between us on
an improvissd litter.
"What a night we passed, with the
wailine lamentations of the poor
moth. :, * loss of one son and the
crippli1 the other!
"Hav.i..r neen an assistant surgeon in
my youDa days, found on examina-
ton of Williams frozen extrem,ties
that ali his toes on both feet had to
come off, and all the fingers OF the left
hand. But managed to save the tn. NIB
and index finger on the right one. the
possession of which has enabled him to
do many things that the want of them
would have prevented him from accom-
plishing.
A few days after had performed
tho operation on his hands and feet
(which was quite painless to the boy,
he told US that the wolves had swoopeG
down on them all at once from the crss
CT a neighbcring knoll, and in .heir
Laste to scramble up the tree their gun
was dro3ned. and the vicious beasts sat
down on their launches to deliberately
s;arve them out"
In thoughtful way De Hertle arose
from his chair. knocked the ashes iron.
r's pipe, and, wishing me goodnight
departed for his wigwam.-N. Y. Led
ger.
Cream Pie Crust.