Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-04-05

"D'RI PULLED UP SUDDENLY-AND
LISTENED, PEERING INTO THE
DUSK"
mutton. Mex the guns ready. We
may git few pelts. There's big
bounty on 'em here in York state"
We all stood about the fire listening
as the wolves came nearer.
1T s the sheep tibet brings EN-"
said my father.
Quite consid able number on 'em,
tew," said D'ri, as he stood cleaning
the bore of his rifle.
My young sisters began to cry.
Need mt be- .scairt," said father.
':They won't come very near. 'Fraider
of us n We are O 'em. good DEAL"
"Tow-w-w!" said D'ri, with a laugh.
''They'llsbe apt t stub Their toes fore
they git very nigh u.s.
This did not quite agree with the
tales he had previously been telling.
belt about me, the scabbard' hanging
to my heels. Presently some creature
came bounding over the brush saw
him break through the wall Of dark
ness and stop quickly in the freight.
Then D'ri brought him down with his
rifle.
Started him up back there n the
woods few mild said D'ri "He was
mekin' fer this ere pond-thet's what
he was dewin'" Il
what for?" l inquired.
"'Cause fer the reason why he
knowed he would MT mex NO tracks n
the water, ner no scent" said D'ri,
with some show OF contempt for my
ignorance.
The deer lay doundering in the brisrs
some SO feet away. My father ran with
HIS knife and put him quickly out of
misery. Then we hauled the carcass
to clear ground. II :%
LET it lie where t is fer now" said
he, as we came back to the fire. Then
he got our two big traps out of the
cart and set them beside the carcass
and covered them with leaves. The
bowling of the wolves had ceased; I
could hear only the creaking of a dead
limb high above us, and the below: of
frogs in the near pond. We had fas-
tened the trap chains and were CON-
ing back to the fire, when the dog rose,
barking fiercely; then we heard the
crack of D'ri's rifle.
More n so wolves eroun' here" he
whispered as we ran up to him.
Never see sech a snag on EN-"
The sheep were stirring nervously.
Near the pen a wolf lay kicking where
D'ri had dropped him.
REST on 'em shocked off when the
gun hollered," he went on, whispering
as before. - 49,
My mother and grandmother sat
with my sisters in the cart, h,lshing
their murmurs Of fear. Early in the
evening !. had tied Rover to the cart
wheel, where he was growing hotly,
impatient of the leash. ! =
"see?" said D'ri, pointing with his
finger. See 'em?-there n the dark
by tibet air big hemlock"
We could make out a dim stir in the
shadows where he pointed Presently
| we heard the spring and rattle Of q
| trap. AS We turned that way, the
other trap took hold hard; as it sprang
we could hear a wolf yelp 5@
"Meks 'em holler," said D'ri, tibet
Of hetrap does, when it ticks holt. Stay
here by the sheep, n I'll 60 over n
give 'em somethin'. fer spraint ankles
Other wolves were swarming ovel
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 SUNK away as they heard the
rifles. Our remaining captive strug.
g1ed to get free, but in q moment DR.
had Drained him with an ak. He and
my father reset our traps and hauled
the dead wolves into the freight