Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-02-09
"Who?" cried Butler, "of whom

| "Who?' cried Butler, OF WHOM
are you speaking?"
Look for yourself" replied the
woodman. There's the mischievous
devil; an old she-wolf that I have
been hunting these two years. Oh,
oh, madam Your servant"
Upon looking near the earth, our
travellers deserted the object Of this
triumphant burst Of joy, in a large
wolf that was now struggling to re-
| lease herself from the thraldom OF
her position. The trap was ingenious
ly contrived. 1t consisted Of a long
| opening into the hollow trunk of the
! tree, beginning about four feet from
| the ground and cut out with an axe
down to the root. An aperture had
been made at the upper end Of the slit
about foot wide, and the wood had
been hewed away downwards, in such
manner as to render the slit gradu-
ally narrower as it approached the
lower extremity, until near the earth
it was not more than four inches In
width. thus forming a wedge-shaped
loophole into the hollow body of the
tree. A part Of the carcase Of sheep
had been placed on the bottom inside,
the scent of which had attracted the
wolf, and, in her eagerness to possess
herself Of this treasure she had risen
on her hind legs high enough to find
the opening sufficiently wide to allow
her head to be thrust in, whence, Slip
ping downwards, the slit became so
narrow as to prevent her from with
drawing her jaws. The only mode of
extrication from this trap was to rear
her body to the same height at which
she found admission, an expedient
which, 1t seems, required more cum
ming than this proverbially cunning
animal was gifted with. She now
stood captive pretty much in the same
manner that oxen are commonly Sc
cured in their stalls.
For a few moments after the pris-
oner was first perceived, and during
the extravagant yelling Of Adair at
the success Of his stratagem, she made
several desperate but Intellectual ef-
forts to withdraw her head; but as
soon as Butler and Robinson had dis
mounted, and, together with their
guide, had assembled around her, she
desisted from her struggles, and SEEM
ed patiently to resign herself to the
will of her captor. She stood perfect
ly still with that passive and even
cowardly submission for which, In
such circumstances, this animal Is re-
markable: her hind legs dropped and
her tail was thrust between them.
whilst not a snarl nor an expression
of anger or grief escaped her. Her
characteristic sagacity had been COM
pletely baffied by the superior wolf
ish cunning Of her ensnarer.
Wat laughed aloud with a coarse
and almost fiendish laugh, as he cried
out
1T have cotched the old thief at
last, in spite of her cunning! With a
warning to boot. Here Is a mark I
sot upon her last winter" he added
as he raised her fore leg. which was
deprived of the foot; "but she would
be prowIing. the superhuous devil. 1t
is in the nature of these here blood
suckers, to keep a going at their trade,
no matter how much they are watch
ed. But 1 knowed I'd have her one of
these days. These varmints have al
ways got to pay, one day or another,
for their villanies. Want she an old
fool, Horse Shoe, to walk into this
here gum for q piece Of dead mutton.
Ha, ha, ha! If she had only the sense
to rear up, she might have had the
laugh on us! But she hadn't; ha, ha,
han'
"Well Wat Adair," said Robinson,
you had a mischievous head when
you contrived that trap"
Feel her ribs, Mr.. Butler" cried
Wat, not needing the sergeant; Il
know who packed that flesh on her.
There isn't a lamb In my flock today
that wouldn't grin If he was to hear
the news"
well, what are you going to do
with her, Adair?" inquired Butler;
remember you are losing time here"
do with her!" calculated the
woodman; that's soon told; I will
skin her alive"
IT hope not" exclaimed Butler. 1T
would be an unnecessary cruelty. De-
spatch her on the spot with your
rifle"
81 wouldn't waste powder and ball
on :he varmint," replied Adair. mo,
no, the knife, the knife!"
"Then cut her throat and be done
with it."
"You are not used to these hellish
thieves, SIR" said the woodman
There Is nothing that isn't too good
for them. BY the old sinner, I'll skin
her alive! That's the SENTENCED"
"Once more, 1 pray not" said But
Ter imploringly.
"It is past praying for" returned
Adair, as he drew forth his knife and
| began to whet 1t on a stone. she
shall die by inches, and be damned to
herr" he added, as his eye sparkled
savage delight Now look and see
wolf punished according to her evil
doings."
The woodman stood over his cap
tive and laughed heartily, as he point
ed out to his companions the quail
ing and subdued gestures Of his VIC
tim, indulging in coarse and vulgar
Jest whilst he described minutely the
plan Of torture he was about to execute
When he had done with his ribaldry
he slowly drew the point Of his knife
down the backbone Of the animal
from the neck to the tail. sunderine
the skin along the whole length
That's the way to unbutton her jack
et," he said, laughing louder thar
ever
For Gods sake. desist!" calculated
Butler. For my sake, save the pool
animal from this pain! I will pay
YOU thrice the value of the skin"
Money will not buy her." sale
/ Wat looking I'M for an instant BE