The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-06-09
FARMVILLE. VA. FRIDAY. JUNE 9. 1899.

] uiH iuDt AdliHE 10 TURN DIM loose. ds
he would have been torn TO pieces in a
momenD, and then he and Jennie fired
into the crowded pack together. Two
wolves fell. and. instantly. the whole
snarling. gnashing mass of their COM
panions rushed upon and devoured
them. Twice more. while the wolves
cannibalistic feast lasted. the brave pair
loaded and fired, and al one simultane-
Gus discharge two of The raveuous crea-
lures were killed; at the other. three,
and then the pack turned and fled.
All this time-though not more than
five Misunderstanding had been seen or
heard Of Duncan. but on going close 10
the beech tree, and looking upward,
the now dismayed searchers saw him
sitting motionless against The trunk,
on the first great horizontal limb, ap-
parently insensible or dead. as he re-
turned no answer to repeated calls.
"Jeannie, lass" said John, moo is
the time to prove yer grit. TAX the
punk an steel, gather a wheen o. thae
dry leaves and sticks and knnel gran
fire, while | gang up the tree tae Dun
can"
The girl needed no second bidding,
and soon gathered a large heap Of dead
brush. which she ignited by flint. steel
and tinder-friction matches being
then unknown. The fame bad just be-
gun to dance merrily through the mass,
when John, who had in the meantime
climbed up o his brother. called out:
"Ihe puir lads no dead. JEANNE; his
body's warm an his hearts beatin, a
right; but he's clean senseless an
aboot perisht wi cauld. Wen need
TO get him doom TO the fire vera quick.
TAX the collar and rope off the dog,
an toss them up til me-"
The stout branch upon which Duncan
sat was about Is feet from the ground,
and he had secured himself to the stem
Of the tree by the cord which formerly
bound the bundle of furs.
Blu the aid of this and the dogs long
leash. taking half hitch around the
limb, John managed to lower the in
sensible man down to Jennie's waiting
arms, and the two then lifted him over
to the fire and laid him upon pile of
soft brush, while both went vigorously
to work TO restore animation. Duncan
had evidently been overtaken by that
fatal sleep, superinduced by great cold
but only his feet were frozen. and those
very slightly In another half hour
he would have been beyond help, but
now there was hope. While John was
getting or his brothers moccasins and
socks so as to rub the frost-biiteu feet
with snow Jennie pulled small piece
Of bark from a white birch tree and
with a leadcn bullet wrote upon il:
"Come quick! twa miles oot on trail.
Bring speerits an blankets" This rude
missive she tied firmly to the dogs !
neck. saying: "Hamel Bose; hame;
off wi ye quick!' and the intelligent
creature went off like the wind.
The resolute girl then built up an
other great fire. so that Duncan lay be-
tween the two, and in a few minutes I
the blood again circulated through his .
feet. The intense pain which invari-
ably accompanies this recovery from
frost bite. and the genial warmth Of
the fires, aroused the injured man from
his deadly lethargy; and when, in not
more than 55 minutes after the hound
started, McGill and McGregor arrived
on the scene. he was able TO speak, but
not TO stand.
However, he managed to swallow
nearly a half pint of raw spirits, and
then, being wrapped in blankets and
placed upon an improvsed litter, was
conveyed homeward by the four car
riers.
Arrived at the house and asslduously
piled with hot drinks and food. he
shortly revived sufficiently to tell his
story-briehy this:
just before dark he had been sud-
denly attacked by eight or ten wolves,
md, being too closely pursued to gain
4 tree or light fire, had set the barrel
upright on the ground. and, standing
on its head. had for awhile fought them
Dtf with a heavy staff. During the
fracas fresh wolves kept pouring in
rom all sides, and he had then, realIz-
ng at last that he was in deadly peril,
lilled two Of the brutes, and while the
pack, according to the usual habit of
heir kind, were busily fighting over
md devouring their dead companions,
be made dash to one side and climbed
he firsf suitable tree. For hours he
lad remained awake watching his
,loodthirsty besiegers, but finally, be-
coming convinced that he should freeze
o death, he bound himself to the tree,
determined not TO furnish a feast TO
he ferocious beasts, and that was the
ass thing he could remember But,
nither," - loosely added, "the fooer
S safe + the bush, an yen fin a thae
ther bit gimcracks a RIGHT i my
,ooches."
The next June, after the spring work
vas done, Jennie and Duncan, having
,een duly called" for three successive
,abbatbs in the kirk" at York, were
apply married, aud the muscular
certainly showed no signs
# injury from his dangerous adven-
ure.
In the year 1882 my father bought
ut both the McGills and McGregors,
nd all these good people were for a
lng time employed by him.
The famous hound. Old Bose, was !
hen still living. and 1, at that time
oy Of eight, have heard this story
yer and over again from the lips