The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-20

descent was steady and the whole
country was covered with snow ana
with an ice crust, the very best klnd
for coasting.
''Oh. if we only had our sleds,' said
Carroll
whats the matter with sitting
down and sliding" said Jed, prepar-
ing to do so.
"Hold on" said Ned, there's shin
gle. On such a glare as this that IL
do as we'll as a toboggan. You boys
make double ripper of yourselves
with the shingle under you and III
sit on YOU and we'll go kiting.
SO Jed and Carroll locked legs. Jed
on his stomach and Carroll sitting
down and the single under them.
Then with Ned in place on this hui
man toboggan they went kiting down
that hill licketty cut!
But before they reached the foot of
the hill they saw "a pile of rocks right
across their path and there sitting in
front of a cave was the wolf old Blue
skin, eating sheep.
Ned saw her first and he said,
"Quisk. boys. unlock and roll Off
from the single, or you'll be in the
VOLTS den in less'n a minute. Get
your bows ready and shoot steady.
The boys minded instanter and the
three went rolling off to one side
while the shingle sped on alone and
hit the wolf square in the nose.
That was unlucky because she had
not seen them before, being too busy
with her dinner. But now she looked
up and saw them and let out howl
| that shook the hill and that stayed
in the boys minds for many long
| day.
I'll fix him." said Jed. and he fitted
| his red arrow as he rolled and fired
point blank at the big blue monster.
But bless. you the arrow never went
near the wolf at all, but overshot the
mark and went over the rocks and at
the same moment out from the den
came Blueslin, Jr., as large as st.
| Bernard and as ferocious as Il blood
| hound.
And poor Jed couldn't stop rolling.
but slid and rolled right into the arms
of the whelp who fetched him such
il blow on the head that it laid open
his scalp and closed his mouth-for
he tainted with pain and fright.
| dare say that Mrs. Rlueskin told
her son that they'd have an extra
nice dinner in few minutes. but for
the present they must leave Jed alone
and try to get breakfast and lunch
out of the other kind little boys who
had invited themselves to visit them
and stay for meals. Certainly jed
was not touched after his head had
been damaged. but Mother Blueskin
made ready for Carroll, who with
trembling fingers was fitting the
blue shaft to his bow. He had
managed to stop rolling a rod or SO
above her den. He looked around but
he was alone. Little Ned had disap-
peared. Carroll was too badly scar
ed to take accurate aim and whereas
he meant to hit Mamma Blueskin. he
keeled over the whelp who fell on
its side with a fierce yelp.
eoot-,ilrrl.b 20 &c :. Go g. g
When Blueskin saw her baby 90
down she ripped out "a hideous howl
that sent Carroll's blood down below
freezing. She bounded at him with
her jaws wide open and her red ton
que lolling and her scarlet eyes blaz-
ing like fire brands. A few yards
more and it would have been all up
with the poor boy because the blue
wolf was not thinking of food now:
only of the loss of her whelp. But
just as she leaped upon him a red tip
ped arrow followed in her wake and
caught her in the small of the back.
which is blue VOLTS most
vulnerable spot, and she reared up
on her launches bowling horribly.
Carroll rolled out of reach of her
terrible paws and saw Ned above
the wolf den fitting his own white
arrow to the bow for the ending of
the wolf.
He had managed to steer past the
mouth of the den and climbing the
rocks behind it he had found Jed's
red arrow. This had come in handy
to save CAROLS life and now the
white one. carefully aimed and sent
with a good will, entered the wicked
brain of the big blue wolf and the
farmers of Ocean county were free
to keep all the sheep they cared to.
Jed had meantime recovered con
seriousness and rose to his feet say
ing: ''Wait till ] get another chance.
but just then he saw old Mamma
Blue and her offspring lying on the
ground and knew that his share in
the fun was over.
you've saved my life said Carroll
TO Ned, but Ned laughed in shy way
and said: 81 wish we could coast
home with these wolves"
AS he spoke the ground gave indica-
tions of rising as it had done on their
way there. Quick witted Ned made
the boys pull the baby VOLTS carcass
on to the other and then all three
boys sat down on them and in iiffy
the ground rose at least a thousand
feet and tilted the hill the other way.
OF course, with such a slippery crust
of frozen snow the bodies of the
wolves were as good as sleds and a
little shove started them off and they
went down like meteor and in some
lneXplanable way they never stopped
until they reached the town hall at
| latham.
1t being Saturday the town was full
Of farmers who had come i'm to do
their shopping aud when the three
boys came coasting down Main street
1