The Irish standard., 1905-02-18

DUSK"
mutton. Mex the guns ready. We
may git few pelts. There's a big
bounty on 'em here in York state.'
We all stood about the fire listening
as the wolves came nearer.
at S the sheep tibet brings 'em,"
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.
FThey won't come very near. 'Fraider
of us n we are O. 'em. good deal"
'"Tow-w-w!" said D'ri, with a laugh.
"Faey'll be apt t stub Their toes fore
they git very nigh us"
This did not quite agree with the
tales he had previously been telling.
l went for my sword, and buckled its
belt about me, the scabbard hanging
to my heels. Presently some creature
came bounding over the brush. l 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 Dri. "He was
mekin' fer this ere pond-thets what
he was dewin'."
"What for?" I inquired.
Cause fer the reason why he
1.1Iny.Gl In ur,,lI ~ l.. two J,,
the water, her no scent" said D'ri,
with some show of contempt for my
ignorance.
The deer lay flnunderins in the briars
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.
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 u.s. and the below of
frogs in the ntar pond. We had fas-
tened the trap chains and were COM
ing back to the fire, when the dog rose,
barking fiercely; then we heard the
crack of Dr's rifle
"More II 30 wolves eroun here" he
whispered as we ran up to him.
Never sec sech a snag on en-
The sleep were stirring nervously.
Near the pen a wolf lay kicking where
D'ri had dropped him.
REST on 'em smoked Off when the
gun hollered," he went on whispering
as before.
My mother and grandmother sat
with my sisters in the cart, hushing
, their mlrmIrs of fear Early in the
evening had tied Rover to the cart
wheel, where he was growing holly,
impatient OF the leash.
"see?" said D'r, pointing with his
finger. Sec 'em?-there n the dark
by thet air big hemlock"
We could make out dim stir in the
shadows wh4te he pointed Presently
we lcarf the spring and rattle of a
trap. AS we turned that way, the
other trap took hold hard; as it sprang
we could hear a woH yelp
"Meks 'em holler,' said D'ri. "thet
oil hetrar does. when it ticks holt. Stay
here by the sheep, n I'll so over m
give 'em somethin' fer spraint ankles. u
Other wolves were swarming over
the dead deer. and the two in the traps
we're 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 rs they heard the
rifles. Our remaining captive strug-
| gled to get free. but in moment Drj
had Drained him with an ak. He and
my father reset our traps and hauled
the dead wolves into the freight
There they began to skin them, for the