Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-09-20

they had rolled down to the heap az
ter dinner. Exposed as they were on
the brow of bluff facing the north,
the cold wind pierced to their bones
the more quickly because in tugging
ut the logs. they had been sweating.
Something's got to be done" shout
ed Mr.. Barbour to 'Liph, who was still
making demonstrations at the wolves.
something's got to be done or I'll
freeze plumb to death. let alone being
eat up by these vermin"
'Liph turned about "Tell We what"
said he, lets fling that fawn down the
bluff, and while they're chawing it up
We'll run for home
Even Perry. who had been SO fool
hardly anxious to save his game. saw
the wisdom of this plan, and seized
the hind legs of the fawn to assist
'Liph. Together they swung the deer
to and fro. once. twice, three times,
and as it weighed not more than 60 or
20 pounds, they flung it several yards
down over the brink before it struck
the smooth, steep surface. where 1t
slid rapidly for some distance.
The whole surrounding pack of
wolves had been jumping back and
forth with expectancy as they watched
'Liph and Perry heaving the swaying
body of the deer; and now the horde
rushed all together pellmell down the
bluff in the wake of the carcass, over
hauling it. pouncing upon it, and piling
upon and over each other in their des-
perate eagerness, confused and
scrambling mass of jaws. legs and tails.
AS the loggers. immensely relieved
at the sight. craned their necks to look
down at the turmoil. an inspiration
came to 'Liph.
"They're square below u.s. he cried.
Lets give 'em log. It'll smash the
who lie crowdw
With the backwoodsman's quick in
stinct for action, the three sprang to-
gether back of the top log, 20 foot
cut nearly three feet in diameter. The
elder Barbour and 'Liph thrust their
handspikes into the crevice and got
bite" against the lower log. and Perry
in his eagerness heaved with his shoul-
der for want of spike. A steady pres
sure upon the ends of their levers
raised the big log above the level of its
opposite and lower neighbor, and an
extra heave tilted it over.
From The top of the log-ple the great
trunk plunged, going over the brink
of the bluff straight down upon the
struggling pack, as if discharged from
Il catapult. The clamor and struggle
of the piled-up mob of wolves prevent
ed them from seeing or hearing. until
the huge missile bounced directly
among them. Then the destruction,
the howls. the bounds of the survivors.
'Liph said it was like striking your
fist into tin plate full of parched
corn" Those animals which had es-
capped crushing leaped and scrambled
in every direction, frightened out of
their wits. some of them darting off
over the brush and debris into the
woods on either hand, and others plung-
ing with tremendous springs directly
down the rolI-way. the log humping
and booming close upon their heels.
with Il noise and rush that might well
have scared the boldest of animals.
To the hindmost of these wolves u
curious thing happened. He was over
taken. and the log rolled over him
and left him kicking. Then he scram-
bled to his feet and fed bowling along
the side-hill. He had been overtaken
just above hollow that contained
considerable snow. and into this he
had been pressed deeply.
The triumphant logmen gaZed long
enough to discover that seven dead
wolves lay scattered about the carcass
of the deer, and that an eighth. severe
ly hurt, was dragging itself toward
Il brusl-pile. Then they set to and
heaved over log after log, until six
had gone booming and crashing down
the bluff. Then. fearing that the pack,
which was still very numerous. might
return when their logs We're exhaust
ed, they picked up their coats and the
gun and hurried across the bluff,
making slight circuit to keep high,
clear ground in getting to their camp.
They saw no more wolves that night,
however.
They did not return to the scene of
their exploit until the next morning,
when they found the pack had re-
turned some time in the night, and
cleaned the bones of the fawn. Seven
dead bodies of big. gray wives lay
close about untouched. and the wound
ed one was also found dead under a
brush -pile.-Youth's Companion.