Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-12-02

oil hetrap does, when it ticks holt. Stay
here by the sheep, n I'll go over n
give 'em somethin' fer spraint ankles"
Other wolves were swarming over
the dead deer, and the two in the traps
were snarling and swapping at them.
My father and D'ri fired at the bunch,
killing one of the captives and another
the largest wolf ever saw. The
pack had skunk away as they heard the
rifles. Our remaining captive strug-
gled to get free, but in moment D'ri
had Drained him with an az. He and
my father reset our traps and hauled
the dead wolves into the freight.
There they began to skin them, for the
bounty was $40 for each in the new
towns-a sum that made our adventure
profitable. I built fires on the farther
side Of the sheep, and, as they bright
ened, could see, here and there, the
cleaning eyes Of wolf in the dark
ness. was up all night heaping wood
upon the fires, while D'ri and my
father skinned the wolves and dressed
the deer. They had just finished when
the cock crew.
"Holler, We gol-dum little cuss!"
D'ri shouted as he went over to him.,
Cant no snookin' wolf crack our
bones fer us. Peeled 'em-thet's what
we done tew 'em! Tux n knocked 'em
head over heels. Judas Priest! He
can peck a mans finger some, can't
he?"
The light was coming and he went
off to the spring for water, while l
brought the spider and pots. The
great, green-roofed temple of the
woods, that had so lately rung with the
howl of wolves, began to fill with far
wandering echoes of sweet song.
"They was a big cat over there by
the spring las night" said D'ri, as
We all sat down to breakfast. Tracks
bigger n griddle! Smelt the NUT
ton, mos likely"
Like mutton?" I inquired.
"Yis-sir-ee, they dew" said he.
Kind O. mince-pie fer 'em. Like deer
meat. tew. Shook eroun' the ponds
after dark. Eff they see a deer n the
water they wallop i'm quicker n
lightnin'; jump right in k'slap n TEX
i'm"
We were off at sunrise, on a road
that grew rcugher every mile. At noon
we came to river so swollen as to
make a dangerous ford. After dinner
my father waded in, going hips under
where the water was deep and swift
Then he cut long pole and took my
mother on his shoulders and entered
the broad stream, steadying himself
with the pole. When she had got
down safe on the other side, he came
back for grandmother and my sisters,
and took them over in the same way.
D'ri, meanwhile, bound up the feather
| beds and carried them on his head,
leaving the dog and me to tend the
| sheep. All our blankets and clothing
were carried across in the same man
ner. Then I mounted the cart, with
| my rooster, flashing the oxen till they
took to the stream. They had tied the
bell-wether to the axle, and, as
started. men and dog drove the sheer
after me. The oxen wallowed in the
deep water, and our sheep, after somt
hesitation, began to swim. The biz
cart doated like raft part Of the way
and we landed with no great difficulty
Farther on the road became nothing
better than rude trail, where. fire.
quently, we had to stop and chor
through heavy logs and roll them away
On steep hillside the oxen fell, break
Ing the tongue, and the cart tipped side
wise and rolled bottom up. My roos
ter was badly flung about. and begar
growing and Tapping as the baske
settled. When I opened 1t he flew
out, running for his life, as II fnall.
resolved to quit us. Fortunately, vi
were all walking. and nobody wa
hurt. My father and D'ri were bus!
half day "righting up" a. the!
called 1t. mending the tongue an,
cover, and getting the cart on 1t
wheels and down the steep pitch.
After two days of trail travel W
came out on the Chateaugay road
stopping awhile to bait our sheep an,
cattle on the tame grass and tende
briars. 1t was great JOY to see tn
clear road, with here and there a set
tiers cabin, its yard aglow with th
marigold, the hollyhock and the fra
grant honeysuckle. We got to the tav
ern at Chateaugay about dusk and pu
up for the night, as becomes q Chris
tian.
Next afternoon we came to roug
roads again, camping at shutdown alon
the shore of noisy brook. The do
began to bark flercely while suppe
was making, and scurried of into
thicket.
D'ri was STOPPING over. cooking tn
meat. He rose and listened.
"Thet air dogs leetle scairt," sal
he. Guess we better go n see whu
Is the matter"
| He took his rife and my sword
never thought Of another weapon
making OF through the brush. Th
dog came whining to D'ri and rushin
on, eager for us to follow. We hui
rted after him, and in moment D.
and the dog, who were ahead Of M
halted suddenly.
tits painter" said D'ri, as cam
up. "See i'm in tibet air tree-top. +
larrup i'm with OF Beeswax. then je
like es not he'll mex some music. Be-
ter grab holt O. the dog. IT won't de-
fer i'm to git tew rambunctious, or tt
fust thing he knows he won't hev n
insides in Inn"
could see the big cat clingin
high In the top boughs of birch an
looking calmly down at us. Tho tre'
top sWaYed. uuiYering. IA Il held Il