The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-24
TIE LESSON oFTHe WOLF.

1 THE EESSOf Or ne WOLF.
Edward Blocker. Of New York City
| went 10 Colorado on q hunting trip. He
put up al Wolf Ranch. a picturesque
Mace on a southern mountain slope.
Blocker was g years old good looking
and wealthy OF his character a New
York acquaintance caustically said TO a
eroup OF club fellows: Bieecker's prin-
| ciple is all in the bank
| Edward Bleecker with his guide hunted
| in the mountains back of Wolf Ranch.
| and whipped every mountain side stream
! within thirty miles with his line and
| leader 10 take the gamey trout. He had
been a month at Wolf Ranch. and yet
| he fingered Il was old Dad Perkins
ranch. and Dad had an only and pretty
! daughter, Phoebe. who was just turning
| twenty. There weren't any flowers 20 be
] found in the sunny spots in the mountains
| that were prettier than Phoebe Perkins.
and che was as shy and as retiring as any
| blossom hidden away among the mount
ain Businesses.
| The big, handsome New Yorker. with
! his city-bred airs. was a revelation TO
Phoebe Perkins. Blocker knew that he
/ rad made an impression on the heart OF
! this mountain maiden. and Blocker was
| glad of il. He was out for sport, and
/ here was game Of the kind of which he
/ had no thought when he had left the
]
looks and poetry and all sorts OF things
/ that made the girl believe he was OF
/ different mold than the rough ranchmen
/ around her Blocker played his hand
well. He held trump cards. and he felt
/ that the odds was his, though the honor
might go by default.
I Old Dad Perkins smoked his pipe and
was unsuspicious. Blocker and Phoebe
would stroll through the twilight. and he
would talk over and again about the de-
| lights OF the life in the great cities be-
yond the mountains wall. The pulse
OF Phoebe Perkins stirred at the sound
OF his subtle voice.
On Wolf Ranch. employed as a sheep
! herder. was a young fellow named George
Wilson. He was an illiterate man. The
reading of books was TO him an unknown
quantity, but he could read nature. and
her page is broader and fairer than that
Of any book which ever came from the
Tress. Not only could George Wilson
read nature if 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
Eerder for more than a year had in his
Cwn 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 ne
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
Bleeckers attention to Phoebe, and more
than anyone else on that ranch he felt
that he knew the purport of these atten-
lions.
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 forbid
ding shadows filed the valley. Wilson,
ordinarily silent. had now for a week past
been making little advances toward a
closer acquaintance with Blocker. He
had volunteered on one occasion to guide
him on hunting trip into the mountains
~ place where he knew game to be
abundant. Blocker had accepted the
service, and had found that Wilson knew
what he was talking about when he said
he would take him TO good game coun-
try. He had felt a curious sensa ton
however, at times during the day of the
trip. He felt that this sheep herder was
v atching him Perhaps Bleeckers con-
science was not of the best. and this may
have accounted for it.
Edward Blocker and Phoebe Perkins
as dark to the point of gloom. They
were speaking in low tones. mo, I must
not 60. 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 RIeeck-
er. he said, you asked me tie other
day while we were hunting why this place
is called Wolf Ranch. l expect 10 leave
here tomorrow to take place Oh another
ranch many miles away, AMI tonight ]
VIII tell you why this is called Wolf
Ranch. II has only been - knOwa for
two years. There were not many wolves
in this section. In fact. there had been
none for years until one came-a big.
gay, hungry fellow, who fattened nightly
or 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 a way 10 get his
meal We tried poison and spring guns,
and we could do nothing with that wolf.
He knew his wofish business. and knew 1t
well from the wolf standpoint.
Il said our dogs were no good. There
was something about that wolf that made
them fear. I had a dog at the home of
my father miles away. The men said.
This is no wolf; it's the devil. Your dog
viii be no better tnan the rest But
knew my dog. I brought him 10 the fold.
For five nights we lay and watched to-
gether. but saw no wolf, and yet during
the time three lambs were lost on the
sixth night l lay or the ground looking
down into a corner of the fold. The moon
was fun. and II was almost as light as
day In a corner of the fold where
was looking was a motneriess lamb. Ny
dog Jim I called him. was al my side. I
watched until my eyes ached. but finally
I saw shadow over beyond the corner
o. the fold. Then the shadow took shape,
for on a little mound. full in the noon
light I saw a wolf. the biggest 7 had
ever seen, and the biggest so far as we
know this valley ever held. I know why
our dogs had gone hack on Us. but ! still
believed in jim
Jim saw the wolf. when I saw him.
and his hair went Up Ike bristles That
Cog crawled away from me toward the
enemy. He knew lat this wcif 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 BleecKcr. Even in the
gloom OF the night The New Yorker could
see The sheep herders eyes CLEAN and he
experienced an uncomfortable feeling al