The Anaconda standard., 1899-12-10

When it's crimes had made it mo-
tCrious and travelling on the plains had
become unsafe, the cattlemen, grow
ing weary. laid plans to wipe it out
But the pack had a range of a hundred
miles, and sneaked back into the
mountains when it shifted danger: SO
1t could not be cornered at once, and
1t was still 'scoursing the plains when
Wilhelm set forth to ride to his wed
ding.
The red mule loped along for 10 miles,
reached the mountains and began tray
cling along their skirts. AT this point
in Wilhelm's journey the great wolf
pack came down a big gorge suddenly,
and, sweeping out into the prairie like
a cloudburst of gray water, got sight
| and scent of Wilhelm a mile down the
road and sent him a long wailing howl
that lifted him several inches out of
| the saddle. 1t took his trail with a
deadly brevity of consideration, and
came on after him like the wind.
Notwithstanding it had already car
ried Wilhelm's $50 pounds at lope the
red mule pricked up its ears and
stretched out for another side-splittins.
heart breaking five miles at a pace
that offset the rush of the wolves. 1t
was big, rawboned brute. mostly ears,
bone and sineW, and possibly possessed
racing blood. At all events, till the day
of his death, Wilhelm swore it was
the sire of all racers ''und vent like
der Vind.'
At the end of the five miles its
strength began to ebb, and the yelping
devils walked up a bit. While Wilhelm
searched the dim horizon with strained
vision for a place of refuge and the
hoWls Jared on his ears and made him
think of death. Foot by foot the pack
crept up on the red mule. When it
had drawn within half a mile. and Will
helms spine had begun to grow cold
the mule stumbled at the mouth of a
raVine, pitched Wilhelm off and went
on. Three-quarters of an hour later
the mule swung into the Mulheis yard
at Stone mountain. carrying the empty
saddle and with its sides in a lather,
and Georsiana, seeing it. said. "Ach,
Gott.' threw up her hands and fell in
a swoon, and there was a fearful tu-
multi in the Mulheis family.
Wilhelm was not scathed by his tum-
BILE and leaped to his feet and sped up
the ravine. looking for a tree to climb.
The ravine was lined with short scrubs
that would hardly shelter a cat, and
there was never tree in sight. But
luck favored Wilhelm. for he found a
small cavern in the side of the ravine
and dived into that. His impulse was
to plunge into its depths but its in
terror was as black as night, and the
fear that should he go on blindly he
might fall into a pit or crevice in the
darkness brought him to a halt inside
llS mouth Here ne 1Ound hlmSeif IN
q frightful dilemma; between the ham
mer and the anvil, the devil and the
deep sea: afraid to enter the cavern
and afraid to remain at it's mouth. He
had a very bad moment at this point
He was empty handed having come
away from Pelham without weapons,
and he stood irresolute, on the verge
of panic.
The wolf pack arrived at the mouth
of the raVine swiftly. But it whirled
by on the track of the mule leaving
only a few stragglers to nose the snow.
where Wilhelm had fallen. When Will
helm saw it go by his heart leaped with
hope again. However, the stragglrr4
turned up the ravine on his trail. and
at this his hopes fell. Remembering
that wolves are coWardly when not in
number. and afraid Of the dark. h'
drew out his pocket-knife, opened the
big blade. and manfully awaited the
arrival Of these animals at tbs cav
ern.
The luck stood by him again for
when the wolves reached the mouth If
the cave they stopped and looked into |
1t uneaSily, their eyes glaring and |
burning like fire. He felt safe for the !
moment. But the animals moved about /
restlessly bowling with impatience and |
edging little by little closer to the |
cave; after bit he heard the wolf /
pack, which the red mule had shaken |
off, coming back the way it had gone, |