The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-20
THE BLUE WOLF OF OCEAN COUNTY.
Maine seleetmsn offered o. 900 for Any BOY
or Girl who would Brine the Old Blue
skin In Dead or Alive.
Copvr,oht,d bv charles BaReH Loomts,

n nuisance wolves can make ~ themselves
when they sot their crafty minds 10 II and
even those ~ you who live IN the wolf country
or who have read the ripping good stories
about them by Ernest Seton-ThonpSon, can
have no idea of the trouble that the blu" wolf
Of Oconn county. State ~ Maine. caused 10 the
farmers thereabouts.
Ocean county mny b" said To lie Just 100
miles due east Of Portland. and If yonll look
II NJ on the map you vii understand IN"
The selectmen of latham had offered n stand
ing reward of $1,000 to the man. woman. boy
or girl who would bring in that blue wolf dead
or alive
The wolf stood eight feet hi:h in his stocking
feet and II didn't make n BIT of difference to
her whether mamma had a headache or not,
when she felt like coming In and eating up the
canary or the gold fish or the horse or a whole
flock Of sheep. why she did 1t and there was
no sheep dog so brave nor any marksman
So sure that he was able 10 damage old Blueskin.
as she was called. Why. she had enough lead
in her TO sink a ship. and she grew fat on
lead and cried for more when the farmers
got tired Of shooting at her.
It's singular that no one suspected that
she was an enchanted wolf. Those hard
headed Maine farmers never thought Of
Blueskin being enchanted even when they
considered her prepos,erous color which shaded
from light blue at the tip OF her tail TO marine
blue at her collar and a creenish blue around
her wlckedly scarlet eyes.
One day she came down like Sennacherib's
army on a ~sheepfold and spoiled forty-eiRht
legs Of mutton. which gave the alarm by crying
baa In twelve different tones. there being one
voice 10 every four legs rs is usual with mutton
and other roass.
IL was the morning after the slaughter among
the sheep that Ike. the scissors grinder. sug-
Sested To little Ned Soule that the wolf was
enchanted. Ike tramped all over Maine and
nobody knew where he had originally come
from, but he was popularly supposed 10 be
iO3 years old and he himself said that he re-
membered the battle Of Bunker Hill very we'll.
which, II he had stopped TO think was ridicn-
lous. because the battle of Bunker Hill was
fought in seventeen hundred and-er-
Well. as ! was saying, he stopped al the
Soule's TO sharpen their scissors and when
little Ned told him how his fathers flock Of
a dozen sheep had vanished. Ike said the wolf
was enchanted
His head was always shaking and his voice
was as wheezy as a pump windla.s that needs
oiling. That wolf amt no ord nary wolf.
It's enchanted and no one but n perfectly brave
boy can kill il, He don't mind men no more'n
a bad boy minds his mother. Now. If you
get two companions an go up TO latham -Four
Corners you'll find a holler log right beside
the sign post. Creep through II 10 the country
Of the Blue Wolf and you'll come TO a helm
tree 200 feet high. The boy that relies on
himself an clear grit will climb TO the top and
he'll find there a crtmson-tipped arrow, an
arrow with a blue tip and n white tipped one.
Then each boy must take an arrow and armed
with a bow Of his own make he must seek the
wolf. The rest you must do for yourself.
but the real brave boy will bag the blue wolf.
There. take that scissors TO your ma and tell
her It's a quarter because they were very dull. "
After Ike had gone down the road with his
quarter Ned went of to hunt UP Carroll Mill
ken and Jed Wadsworth and finding them
he told them Ike's story without delay.
I'll bring in old Blueskin to-morrer. See
II | don't said Jed boastfully.
I'm most afraid 10 60. but II you fellers
can go ! guess ! can said Carroll, his rosy
CHEEKS growing several shades paler AZ the
thought Of his Cerulean Highness.
That afternoon they made bows ont Of thick orv
wood. and strung them with vhipcord. The
next morning early. the day being SATURDAY,
they left home without saying a word 10 any
one and set out for latham Four Corners. II
was az the faS end OF the winter and the roads
were frozen here and snow covered there, but
they didn't mind the mud. and they liked the
snow. Each boy had made his own preparations
for the coming events.
I've got a contraption that'l take me TO
the top Of that elm quicker'n scat, said Jed
Il hope mine will work. said Carroll.
Little Ned said nothing.
AT the signpost at the corners lay the hollow
log and into ii crept Carroll II was a light
squeeze. for he vas a chubby boy, but he man.
aged 10 work his way in. and then Jed went
after him. and as he was slim he had no trouble.
II might have frightened sons boys 70 notice
that. although the two boys were each four
feet high. and the trunk was only six feet long,
they didn't come out at the other end but Ned
didn't quite know what fear was. so in he went.
A moment later all three BOYS found them
selves in n field starred with crimson daisies, so
that the meadow looked af'ame with the flowers.
In the middle Of the field grew the great elm.
It's top seeming to touch the clouds.
"Oh, how easy, how easily, easily. easy
sang Jed. boastfully. and he fitted to his knees
climbers made Of leather garters, pierced with
sharpened horseshoe nails.
He spranS at the trunk and went up about
ten feet. and then he came down so hard that
all climb was knocked out Of him, and he set
Nj. teeth and limped painfully away from the
tree with nothing TO say, for a wonder.
It's hard work. but ] think that rubber
sleeves viii do for me. | can't slip with them
on" said Carroll.
He went fifty feet before he fell. and IT'S a
wonder that he didnt break every bone in his
fat body for he came down like a pile driver.
I'm afraid ! can't do It. rs all | have is my
two hands. said Ned. but he went manfully 10
work. and to the great wonderment Of the big
ger boys he climbed that tree as easily as II II
had been n fruit tree,
branches that were shaped exactly like arrows.
even 10 the fcathering. One had a white point,
one had n blue point. and the other a red point.
Ihony the red one. yelled jed from below.
And ] guess I'll take the blue one. aid
Carroll. and that left Ned with Hohson's choice
or th" white one. PERSONALLY he would have
liked the red one but he didn't want 10 make
n fuss 50 he broke the three arrows from the
tree and threw them down and then he slid
down tho trunk and fortunately reached N"
ground without falling although his hands
and knees felt warm from the friction.
That's the highest tree ever climbed
said Ncd. with pardonahlc pride
"Ru, We did sitp" broke in carroll and
II was Ned Who got tho arrows. Now let's
start for tho wolf don"
Before them. rising TO a great height, lay
n steep hill which they hadn't noticed before.
Jed rushed 81 II with his usual over conf
dence and found hlnse'f sinking M TO hs
knees IN mud. Carroll ran to his assistance
but became mired himself, So Ned said