The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-11-23

- Thanksgiving, to make trip
over the Cascade foothills to a
little town nestled away in the noun
tains. Snow had lately fallen and my
horse was well tagged at shutdown, con
sequently 1 was anXiously looking for
stopping place for the night. just
before dark. entering a clearing, | no.
ticed bright light ahead and urging
on my tired horse, found | had fortu-
nately reached farm and probably
a nights shelter. Riding up to the
porch of the house, in response to my
halloo. the door was thrown open and
flood of light and warmth shed out
over the snow. promising we'll for the
comforts of the interior. After stablng
the horse. l entered the dwelling which,
warm. cosy and neat. was Il true har-
Dor of refuge for tired. worn noun
tain traveller. The great blazing logs
in the fireplace lit and warmed the
whole room, the long table being spread
for supper augured we'll for the inner
man: the sturdy, honest face of my
farmer host. the neat, quickmoving.
matronly housewife, the bright smiling
| faces of the children, betokened Il pleas
ant evening and a safe retreat from the
snow and cold of thn forest. On one
side of the fireplace, | observed some
thing like large couch of sheepskins
on the floor, and was wondering what
could be its use. when a scratching was
heard. a low whine and, upon one of the
children opening the door. a large. shay
gy. powerful old dog limped in, took n
sniff at me and then walked over and
laid down on the sheepskin bed with an
air of ownership that plainly told he
was the proprietor. He was about as
forbidding a looking a canine as l ever
saw; evidently quite old, with only one
eye and great scar where the other
should be, the right ear gone and about
| half of the left remaining. His fore
parts and head all covered with ugly
welts from old wounds, he was any
thing but beauty. 1t was evident
that the dog was an important and val
ued member of the family; not a child
went by but stopped to caress him, the
mother tossed him itbits from the
plates as she brought in the supper, and
when the oldest daughter came in from
] I, h. LIZ h,typ oii1
of some fourteen or fifteen years-shc
patted the old fellow on the head and
lovingly called his dear old Mac" I
remarked to the father that the children
seemed to be very fond of the dog.
oh" ne replied, eve could not keep
house without Mae
l was then satisfied that there must
be some reason for all this affection and
determined to hear the story, if possible.
| After enjoying a bountiful supper the
farmer and l filled our pipes and drew
up to the fire for good smoke. Moth
| ing makes men so companionable and
communicative as the enjoyment of a
] SHohc dlltl HlCt meal, anu 81 1
gradually succeeded in drawing out this
story.
"You see" said my host, at was Just
thirteen years ago tonight Stella, tae
oldest girl was a baby then about a year
old. My wife and l had moved up into
this clearing where l had taken up my
homestead. One of our neighbors over
the ridge was going to give a Thanks
giving ball. We had worked hard the
whole season. so l told Lottie-that' 5
my wife-we would 90 over and have a
little fun and stay at the neighbours for
Thanks giving 1t had showed hard the
day before, so after getting down plenty
of hay for the cows and locking up the
chickens. ! harnessed my team-two
strong young horses-to the bobsled, put
in plenty OF hay. blankets and robes
and, with my wife and baby we'll bun
died up started out just before dark
Mae who was a strong, young dog
then jumped in and rode along with us
Wolves had been quite plentiful that
) fall; they had killed colt and two
calves for me and l had shot several OF
them, but the thought of wolves never
entered my head as we started. We
) drove down, crossed the branch and
were raising the hill on the other side
when my wife saw a wolf Looping off into
! the timber, and she wished to turn bach
, and wait until morning to drive over
! But ! had determined to dance at the
, ball that night, so I laughed at hel
fears and drove on through the woods
We had covered most of the trip anC
had entered a little prairie in the tim
Der when the dog growled fiercely, and
looking back over my shoulder, I saw
two great timber wolves trotting dowr
the road behind US. Just then, as w,
were entering the forest on the othel
side of the opening great wolf spran.
out, snarling, from under a little fir by
the roadside and darted off into the
dark The off horse, who was YOUNG