The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-19
A cHlLp,s STORY.


along in the spring wagon that carried
the tents and provisions. Nalor, the big
shepherd dog trotted along the wagon.
Sue and Dora rode on horseback The
girls came to COX for their father and for
the fun of camping out Mr. Anderson
went to chop down pines and mark others
to be felIed by the men when they came
up later with the teams to haul the wood
down TO the ranch at the Little Laramie.
Anie was a papa's girl and knew when
his axe said run" as well as If it had
spoken.
1t was nearly dark when they camped
at last in a clearing at the timber claim
and the air was chill in ten thousand
feet Of mountain altitude. The camp fire
! that her father built was a comfort. An
nit stood about feeding the flame with
cracking twigs until her sisters, who
were cooking super at the fire, begged
her to go away.
Annie ran to her father. Followed by
Valor, the big shepherd dog. she hurried
down 10 the brook where her father was
( watering the horses.
There's my girl" he said. But he was
busy and did not observe her as she pur-
] sued her way down the brok toward a
thicket OF aspens q quarter of a mile be-
low camp.
Annie heard Valor's footsteps behind
her, and loking around saw the big shep-
| herd dog hurrying after her. Il can't
/ 90 anywhere alone" she muttered- Her
I pioneer instinct was affronted. She hur-
ried on toward the forest, then paused
SUDDENLY. for out of a thicket ahead came
the sound of a wild voice. 1t was not
/ coyote Annie had often run from coyotes
when the dogs got after them at Little
Laramie.
Come along, Val, Let's go see what it
| ISL she said.
But Valor knew better He stood still
and parked. Annie picked up a stick Of
wood and hurled it toward the thicket.
Then she jumped madly toward the near
est tree and began to climb up its trunk,
hand over hand.
For out of the thicket there came a
wolf. Annie saw it in the moonlight and
heard its dreadful voice. Terror knotted
her throat; tears stood in her eyes as she
climbed. BY the time she was safe
astride of high pine bough the wolf and
the shepherd dog were in the thick OF
dreadful fight
1t was a mother wolf and she had cubs
in the thicket and had come out to defend
her home. Annie knew she was wolf by
a picture in her school reader, and she
screamed with fear while that strong,
/ sharp nosed brown wolf fought and bit
and tore at old Vale who fought well, too,
but with signs of a losing battle.
Papa Pa-pa-a-a-ar walled little
Annie at the top of her lungs. "Ps-pa-a!'
! But no one heard. The fight under the
! pine tree grew fiercer. Annie could see
bloody wounds on poor old Valor. She felt
sure the dog would be killed. and she
would have to stay up there in the pine
{ tree all night Perhaps the wolf could
climb trees like a bear, Once bear had
come up tree after her father. But he
was big man and had bowie knife and
killed the bear. All. she had knife her
self! Annie stopped screaming and took
out her little pocket knife and opened ii.
/ Anyhow I can jab at the VOLTS eyes
! with the big blade when he comes up the
{ treer' she sobbed. Then once more she
called:
"Papai Pa-pa-a-a!"
| This time it was not in vain. She had
/ been missed at the camp, and her father
| was coming his rife on his shoulder. hop
| ing to get n shot at game after finding
| his little daughter. AT sound of her cry
he ran forward, shouting her name. then
4 he stopped, astonished as he came
| through the thicket upon the fight, and
heard his child's voice from the pine tree
above:
! Make him stop. papa, Make him stop
/ hurting Val. The wolf began it,
! Mr.. Anderson had already picked up
| several stones and was hurting them at
| the wolf to separate him from the dog, so
| shat he could fire. In all his hunting he
! had never before heard of 4 wolf coming
out of cover to attack a big shepherd dog.
| val wasn't doing a th-i-ngI' walled
the voice above him. ''Yah-ah-ah.''
Hush up, Anie-you, up therei" Mr..
| Anderson called sternly. In that moment
he was all hunter The child was safe;
now to free his dog and finish that wolf.
The animal was tearing wildly at the dog.
and the stones Mr.. Anderson threw only
maddened her more.
Then Annie, controlling herself, drew
her strong little body out on the bOugh,
leaned over and taking aim, twirled her
pocket knife by the big blade over and
downward at the head OF the wolf. Not
all her training in mumblety peg could
have made sure of what happened It
was this:
The knife struck. point downward, in
the VOLTS head, With yelp of pain the
wolf bounded away from the dog, the
knife erect on its big blade, handle up
ward.
Then Mr.. Anderson fired The wolf fell
dead
Annie slid down when she saw her
father lean his gun against tree and go
and bend over the animals body. She
came beside him and said in a trembling
little voice:
I guess maman like that VOLTS skin
for a mat when you tan his hide"
IN tan your hide, young lady. next
time you run away" replied her father.
handing her what was left OF the knife.
The big blade was broken off close to the
handle. Annie did not know that that
blade pulled from the VOLTS head, was I'm
her fathers pocket, nor that her fathers
heart was full Of pride and tenderness,
but so mighty was her need of her faith
ers love and comfort that she slid her
little hand into his warm palm. he smil-
ed. stopped. took her up in his arms, kiss
ed her. rubbed cheeks for a second, then
nut her down and turned to the wolf
He dragged the body over 10 = group OF
c0ttornoods by the brook. broke off
bough and put it across between two
trunks and slung the wolf up on It. Then
he went into the thicket. Annie's hand IN
his. and they found the VOLTS cubs
I guess Will pack you. daughtie. ne
said taking her up In his arms again
He carried Annie hack to the tent. Nalor
following. ard left her telling the story 10
her sisters. who were petting and anoint-
ing the dog while he went hack TO get
the VOLTS skin and the cubs he took
them over to High Landing the next day
To send toI.araruie. but the big beautiful
skin was taken home with them in the
spring wagon when they went ten days
later II made a handsome rug. Mrs
Anderson put II IN the pariOr IN front ~
Dora's piano. and whenever company
came and admired IL. Mr.. Anderson would
always say
That came or Annie's wolf She hNed
that wolf with her pocket knife '-Ainns
q n - Y Herald.