The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-07-04
LDORD FROM OUTDOORS.
THE LITTLE WOLVES OF THE AIR.

THE LITTLE WOLVES OF THE AIR.
BY Charles G. D. Roberts, author of kindred of the W'd
''The Forge in the Forest"
copyright, 1908 by Robert Howard Russell)
HE pool lay shimmering baskng in the flood of the
l June On three Sides west and north, the
willows and the bches gathered close about it, their light
LEAKAGE hanging clear, On the
south open thick-grassed meadows,
where bees and flies of nnumerabe hickered lazy
pale
blooms wheel-rayed daisies tain
umbes Of the wild parsnip strange perfumes kept dstng
in the heat and pulsn the pool breaths of air
too soft to rufle it's surface.
Above the unrufled the air full of dancing
life hung little whrng nebulae mosquitoes wasp
like flies and whrring beetles passed and
repassed each other lines fight here
there uceny flashing on long vened WINGS
darted the flies in mail Their
mens swift, powerful and light that it difficult
that kept the dragon flies necessarily trelessy in
ton Sometimes three would hurtle brief
expedition poisoning meadow. Often would
alght for moment leaf twig in the and lie
there cleaning it's two pairs of wings fatty outspread in
that showed delicate inerlacng of the
Then it would into with bold vehement
spring; and whenever it began it's flight whenever it
abruptly changed fight, wings
make dry, sharp, rustlng sound.
The business that occupied these winged and fash
versal business hunting there few, indeed
all the kindred of earth air and hunting
that of these slender and
spirtlike beings With appetes Unsuitable ferocity i'm
placabe strength and prodgous their
call them the little wolves the air perhaps the
corridors of the winter forest Mosquitoes and gnats they
hunted devourng them in countless
bes to merit the gratitude of creature that calls the
mosquito foe. But fly, also, acceptable
indonabe hunters bodied MOTH
painted butterfly And the whose
weapon no insect can was NOT sae tne dragon
fly could catch her small slaughter of her
and bouncing from above grip the back of her
armed abdomen IN his great grinding her sting could 90
nothing vainly like licking fame
would poison glands discreetly avoided,
good meal the unresisting buebottle
Down to the pool thru the luxurious shadows of the
birches stretched himself leaning
trunk by the water side At his approach all the business of
life death mating in neighborhood
to halt, winged kindred,
quitos, from him. The mosquitoes whom
become to speak, in measure accimatzed attacked him
enthusiasm they displayed
case OF stranger and tailed to cause him serious annoy
He fixed himself in position that horoy
Portable, then lay quite still
The mans face the birch
but his body lay out in the full and the front of his
soft white shirt made patch sharp light against
the tones OF brown and green When had for
time remained quite STILL patch of wilderness
attention and various insects aghted to investigate
Presently the noticed large, seelbue
rustng wings balancing the feet in
Of him.
this moment from branch overhead a hungry shrike
dashed The peril just time and
instead of fleeing desperately almost
inevitably the strong-wnged bird
forward perched refuge fold dazzling
shirt The foed shrike with asonished
ter, flew off to a tree across the pool
perhaps M great stood with rnoyeless
widespread WINGS scntilating aerial body
compaced of million microscopic prisms The transparent
tissue Of it's wings filled with more elusive
rdescence The great rounded gobose overlapping
half big the creatures whole head kept opening
shutting as to polish their edges
head quite occupied by bugng brilliant spheres
which hold their
depths shifting light
These nscrutable and enormous nearly
great in circumference creatures
selves steady at the mans
Of cheeks their sinister
him if spirit hostile threatened
him from beneath those shining and he
experience all his interest when
the four beautiful wings hurtled crspy
darted away.
1t would however that the fold shirt
had found favor in those mysterously
minute two later the fly returned the
color but broken notch its
of the tip birds beak This time dragon not
fugitive from fate but triumphant
to others. It carried between it's
greengrasshopper, which it had already partly
Fixing the engmatic radiance Of it's he
face calmly continued its using
ond joints of its front pair of legs help manipulate
rather awkward morse It's
resistlessy while juices
upon spotess shirt was over
there remained nothing the victim compact perfectly
rounded gsening ball. the size