St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-04-28

d NS1
Whirlpool forgot to mention MI
Wolf, who was on that block with me-
and then we backed away from sid
to side, >as if we were dancing
quadrille. l saw the waterworks fey
times, then I didn't. Then it bega1
to get dark. Then Mr.. Wolf com
menced to sing his swan sonA aLI
wanted to go home right off.
You see they have gray wolves ou
there. Now, it happened that mem
Der OF this tribe-usually afraid 6f ,
man-had marched out on the ice t,
take quiet drink. He was busy lap
ping up the blue water. Oh, yes, it:
blue in winter if it does look like pea
soup in summer-when split out. oul
raft. say OURS, for the wolf held his
| end Of the game to the showdown
when it was draw. Then he could
have had the premises without fight
from me.
We backed and filled there until
the moon came up. / had been toe
bGsy to think of the possibility Of any
animal being there, when the wolf
sitting where it was thick enough to
stand his yoWl, lifted his beak to the
heavens and cut loose with a proau
which reminded me of the whistle OF
tug IN distress. I was shocked and
turned about to see what this all
meant. There was Mr.. Wolf sitting
on his launches and singing dolorous
measure. Then I remembered that
the farmers in that region loved not
the wolf, SO wished him to cease from
murmuring. They might turn loose
few Gatlings on us and the wolf
would have none the best of it. I
heaved few loose blocks of ice at him
and he quit bowling and growled,
crouching as If to spring.
Here's a funny thing. That chunk
of ice was some so feet wide and as
many broad when we started naviga-
ton. Then as we butted into piece
OF shoal water or another berg a big
chunk. would come away and the raft
commenced to grow beautifully less.
This made it interesting. You know
the American wolf is coward when he
has few thousands of miles to race
over, but in close quarters he will fight.
knew it, at any rate, for when I
tossed chunks at him he quit warbling,
showed his teeth and crouched for a
spring.
Il saw by the time we had been out
there half a dozen hours that the raft
was too small for both of us. wanted
all the room myself and decided the
wolf would have to go. am not much
OF swimmer myself and it was cold,
SO | tried to shoe off that wolf. He
wouldn't shoe worth cent. We were
out in the middle of the river by this
and making good progress toward Kan
sas City. Chunk after chunk was
from our raft and it soon be-
eame matter of crouching on opposite |
sides of hummock id the middle. The
wolf crouched in closer and closer
md whined like q dog. But he showed |
ight when / bothered him.
The moon came up and si1vered our
aft. It also showed where the dark,
;ullen and furious water ragged. twas /
] thoughtful time. I had missed din
Ter by a dozen miles, was out on the
BOSOM of the Missouri with one lone
wolf of uncertain parentage and un-
discovered habits. had no cartridges
With which to shoot him and he re
ented any familiarity. I remember
hat, having used threats, I resorted
o the con- game, but that wolf was
wise boy; he paid no heed to my
fforts to make friends. He howled
vhen not molested, as he evidently
lad no purpose of swimming for it.
Neither had /, but as our limits mar
owed with every swirl of tide that
oes nothing else it soon became a
uestion of who would win at this kind
f postponed game.
Away to the south, high in the
eaEens, I could see a line of lights
eclining visibly. I took them for
tars, but later concluded they were
he lights on Bluff street. Would we
weep by the big city or would we hit
sandbar, plenty of which lurked near
y? 1t was question. / made up my
lind I must get rid of that wolf, SO
sneaked around the kopje and hoist
I my shotgun to snite him. Then
ommenced the most Iurid scrap ever
liked with.
II swung with the gun; he duckef.
nd clawed me in the ribs. + rushed
side-stepped and swung for my
Nv, but I went under. Then We
barred around that ice hill. He kepf
between me and harm until all al
ice with yowl he charged. He smots
e in the side and one leg went ints
feet OF water, but was up before he |
'uld count ten. Then ] closed in
had to, for / broke off another chunl
ith that rush--and handed him an
vful4 punch. / thought he was out
It he came up before. the count and
lcked as went for him. I
"One must &C out this time or 1t was
draw. for but eight feet of space was
y. didn't measure it excepting
tn my eyes, but I'll swear to it. I
the left--I'd lost the gun-and slse
ocked, countering with his right.
mt under and caught him an awful
'pereut under the chin with my right
liked it; absolutely liked it, for il q
yer bothered him. He crouehed low
d led right and left swift as light :,
ng. I gave ground and backed clea5 Z
the ice as il hit that sanabar. j
1 struck out to swim for shore, al 5
ough | didn't know where that was
padded vigorously for awhile with =
: feet high in the air-ss4ernwbeel- :