The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-11-14
LESSON OF THE WOLF
BY EDWARD u. CLARK.

Z
years old, good looking and wealthy. Of
his character New York acquaintance
caustically said to a group of club fellows:
"Bleecker's principle is all in the bank"
Edward Blocker with his guide hunted
in the mountains back of Wolf Ranch, and
whipped every mountain side stream within
30 miles with his line and leader to take
the gamey trout. He had been month at
Wolf Ranch, and yet he fingered. 1t was
old Dad Perkins ranch, and dad had an
only and pretty daughter, Phoebe, who was
just turning 20. There weren't any flowers
to be found in the sunny spots in the noun
tains that were prettier than Phoebe Per-
kins, and she was as shy and as retiring as
any blossom hidden away among the noun
tain Businesses.
The big, handsome New Yorker, with his
city-bred airs, was a revelation to Phoebe
Perkins. Blocker knew that he had made
an impression on the heart of this mountain
| maiden, and Blocker was glad of it. He
was out for sport, and here was game of the
kind of which he had no thought when he
! had left the railroad station behind him.
Old Dad Perkins smoked his pipe and was
unsuspicious. Blocker and Phoebe would
| stroll through the twilight, and he would
| talk ever and again about the delights of the
| life in the great cities beyond the mountains
wall. The pulse of Phoebe Perkins stirred
| at the sound of his subtle voice.
| On Wolf Ranch, employed as sheep herd
er, was a young fellow named George Will
| son. He was an illiterate man. The read
ing of books was to him an unknown guam
| tity, but ne could read nature, and her page
| is broader and fairer than that of any book
| which ever came from the press. Not only
| could George Wilson read nature as she
| spread her lesson on plain and mountain
| side, but he could read nature in man
! human nature, or inhuman nature, as you
will. This sheep herder for more than
year had in his own way loved Phoebe
Perkins. He loved her as he loved the
| stars that glittered above him, while he
| kept his vigil by the fold, knowing full well
! that while he loved the girl, like the star,
| she was far above his reach. He had seen
more than had anyone else on that ranch
of Edward Bleecker's attention to Phoebe,
and more than anyone else on the ranch he
| felt that he knew the purport of these at
| tentions.
George Wilson's heart was hot within him.
| He alternated with another herder his
nights on duty with the sheep fold. When
not on guard he stayed at the great ranch
| house. Blocker and Phoebe sometimes sat
under the great reaching roof of the ranch
porch after the sun had gone below the
mountain and the forbidding shodows filed
the valley. Wilson, ordinarily silent, had
now for week past been making little ad-
vances toward closer acquaintance with
| Blocker. He had volunteered on one &C.
casion to guide him on hunting trip into
/ the mountains to place where he knew
, game to be abundant. Blocker had &C
/ copied the service, and had found that
Wilson knew what he was talking about
( when he said he would take him to good
| game country. He had felt curious sensa-
ton, however, at times during the day
of the trip. He felt that this sheep herder
was watching him. Perhaps Bleecker's con-
science was not of the best, and this may
| have accounted for it.
| Edward Blocker and Phoebe Perkins were
on the porch of the ranch. The night was
dark to the point of gloom. They were
! speaking in low tones. "No, must not go"
said the girl.
Then followed some words of pleading.
There was a movement back of them.
Blocker drew apart from the girl and
| turned in his seat. George Wilson was
standing just back of him. Mr.. Blocker"
he said, you asked me the other day while
we were hunting why this place is called
VOLTS Ranch. l expect to leave here to-
morrow to take place on another ranch
many miles away, and tonight l will tell
| you why this is called Wolf Ranch. 1t has
only been so known for two years. There
were not many wolves in this section. In
fact, there had been none for years until
one came-a big, gray, hungry fellow, who
fattened nightly on the fold. Our dogs
were of no service. The wolf was too smart
for them. He had a hunger for lambs, and
he was shrewd enough to find way to get
his meal. We tried poison and spring guns,
and we could do nothing with that wolf.
He knew his wolfsh business, and knew it
we'll from the VOLTS standpoint.
81 said our dogs were no good. There
was something about that wolf that made
them fear. l had dog at the home of my
father, miles away, The men said: This
is no wolf; it's devil. Your dog will be
no better than the rest But l knew my
dog l brought him to the fold. For five
nights we lay and watched together, but
saw no wolf, and yet during the time three
lambs were lost. On the sixth night lay
on the ground looking down into corner
of the fold. The moon was full, and it was
almost as light as day. In a corner OF the
fold where l was looking was motherless
lamb My dog, Jim l called him, was at
my side 1 watched until my eyes ached,
but finally / saw a shadow over beyond
the corner of the fold. Then the shadow
took shape, for on a little mound, full in
the moonlight, 1 saw a wolf, the biggest
L had ever seen, and the biggest SO far
as we know this valley ever held. knew
why our dogs had gone back on us, but I
still believed in Jim.
Jim saw the wolf, when I saw him, and
his hair went up like bristles. That dog
crawled away from me toward the enemy.
He knew that this>wolf was after that poor
little motherless lamb, and save that lamb
he was going to-"
As Wilson went on with his story he
moved toward Blocker. Even in the gloom
of the night the New Yorker could see
the. sheep herder's eyes CLEAN and he ex-
perienced an uncomfortable feeling at his
heart.
81 just stayed and watched" said Wilson.
"Jim went on and on. The wolf had his
head up. He had located the lamb. What
cared he for dog? He had seen our dogs
turn tail and run.