The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-10-13

late in the day. perhaps I'll jine ye.
Farewell, then, says he. And
may God restrain thy hand
$50 he tucked himself into his box
and got out of the straps of my pack
and took old Sritfire up the tree with
me.
"We had hal,lly got fixed afore the
bull pack of wolves, about 20 on 'em,
was swarmin round u.s. They didn't
give look at ME, but begun to nose
around the parsons box, and l kind of
held off with old Spitfre. becuz I'd
never reely seen how the parson con-
Quoted his campaign, and was a mite
cur us to obsarve how the varmints
would use him anyway. Arter smellin
round for few minutes the wolves be-
gun to scratch and gnaw at the box,
and finally they sot to work to tip it
over.
Now, as l was sayin, the parsons g
chist of refuge was sot on a toboggan,
to which it was bound by thongs. We
had stopped on the side of small
mounting, and when the wolves begun
to push and haul at the box the tobog-
gan slowed around till it was p'inted
down hill and then off she went like a
duck on ice.
" 'Thunderation thinks I to myself.
is the parson goin coastin among all
these treesf' Sure enough he was. and
gatherin headway all the time, with
the wolves trottin arter, kind of sur
prised like. 'Parson, 1 yelled, unlock
that box and stop her or thar won't be
splinter left of either of yer
''I dunno whether the parson heard
me or net, but if he did thar wa n t
much time to foller my instructions,
for in less than half minute the tobog-
gan was goin like log in the rapids
and then like bullet out of gun, and
afore l could get my jaws closed ag' in
-ker-whackl she struck big hemlock.
The parson' s box bust open 1engthwise,
just like a peapod, and out he come
a-fyin and sailed along on his coattails
for good ten yards, just like a
pa fridge when she lights The minute
he struck the snow he was up ag in,
leggin it for tree l reckon he had ii
all planned out while he was in the air,
for / couldn't a chose better tree
myself nor Skinned up it any livelier.
when the parson got perched,
| could see his white face among the
branches, lookin down at the wolves
that were howlin and leapin up on the
tree. Shoot. Mr.. Riversi Shoot" he
yelled. For God g sake. save me from
these beastsl'
81 got rest over limb and begun
to onhitch old Spitfire. Every time she
spoke a wolf keeled over, snappin al
the snow and maxim himself a red rug
to lie on. Once in awhile the parsor
would give YELL and toward the last
| they was whoops of triumph. In less
than half an hour every wolf was dead,
except three that sneaked away. Then
l got down and went to see how the
parson was. He seemed to kind of miss
his box, for never see a man quite sc
disturbed about few pesky wolves.
| Have you killed 'em all, Mr.. Rivers 2
says he. with chatterin teeth.
| &c All but three, says I. And you
needn't be afraid they II come back
| 'Suref' says he.
Sure, says l.
"But it was Is minutes afore I could
get him to come down. 1T is dreadful
this carnagel' says he, shyin away from
the dead wolves. You must excuse my
confusion and inconsistency. Mr.. Riv
ers but was never in such a plight
before. In the seclusion Of my box
knew nothing of these terrors.
You'll get used to 'em, parson,
says l, now that the box is gone. Ani
when you set down to supper at Jen
nings' tonight I'll bet you'll be glai
you amt cooped up here, waitin fol
them critters to get tired of the smel
of yer carcass.
Thar is somethin in that. says he
And, by gum, if the cuss didn't eat I
hunk of bars meat with his beans ant
mush that night at Jennings l"-Jame
Buckham in Field and Stream.