Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-05-12
!. I. i. 4. Il i. i i. 4. !. J. i.
!. AN j.
!. ADVENTURE WITH WOLVES j.
!. i. ]. !. !. !. ]. 20 !. =. !. i.
,Church Standard. }

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,Church Standard.)
Once upon time there had been
a merry-making on New Years Eve
amongst some of the early settlers
of one of our Western States, and a
colored slave who was skilled with
hts fiddle and bow was called upon
to ma 'ie music for the occasion. He
kept at 1t almost until morning, when
he started for his cabin. AS he vas
travelling along with his fiddle under
his arm and through the snow which
had been falling for some hours, and
which, under the influence Of the
winds, was being drifted, he began
Ato be afraid.
~ When he got about half the dist
ance toward his home he began to
feel considerable fatigue and the bit
ing cold wind appeared almost to
paralyze him; he heartily wished
that he was at home with his black
wife and three little children, and
determined not to be bribed again
into quitting his snug fireside at this
season of the year for so solitary a
walk
Just as ne was thinking Of all these
things, he heard the peculiar cry Of a
pack OF wolves, and the note struck
dismay into the not too heroic heart
Of the poor man. He knew how saw
age and audacious these animals are
when driven by hunger and also
knew how keen their scent is, and he
made no doubt that they had shifted
his skin. And he was soon made
aware that this was the case, for the
brutes, like a pack of hounds in full
cry, appeared to be nearing the spot
on which for moment he stood ir-
reSolute how to act He had just
left an extensive swamp, and knew
that not far distant was clearing
in which was small aban doned hut;
could he but reach this hut, he felt
he would be safe until morning.
The wolves were to leeward of him,
still long way off, but there could
- be no mistake that they were ad-
'svancing in his direction; the hut
was about a quarter of a mile off ,
and he set off at run through the
deep snow to try to reach it before
they would be upon him. 1t was a
race for life, and he soon began to
be very tired, but he dared not give
up. All he could see was the night
before him, and all he heard was the
wolves behind him, but he knew that
the hut was near, and SO he strained
from his pursuers.
The hut lay in small clearing by
the roadside, and when he last OBJ
served 1t, it had it's roof partly de-
stroyed, but the door yet hung on it's
hinges. What shall | do, he thought,
If this door has been closed and |
cannot effect an entrance? The DOS
Sibility of such an event made his
blood run cold, and he pressed on in
frantic haste. On came the 'ferocious
animals, nearer and yet near arer, bark
ing and yelping, and all would be
over in two or three minutes. He
gained the clearing, the wolves close
on his track; but fortunately the
snow offered no impeachment to his
entry into the hut, as it had drifted
away from the clearing. He had
just strength enough left him by the
last effort Of despair to rush into the
cabin and Chamber up the logs to a
rafter that ran across. He did not
attempt to shut the door, for the
wolves were within ten yards Of him
when he entered, and lie was afraid
that he could not keep it shut against
the pressure Of large body of des-
perate animals. The wolves came
bounding into the little hut, and
great was their rage to find that they
had been baked Of their prey. The
bin was at one time quite filled
with them, and they went in and out
and all around the dwelling and
clearing, to see If they could find
some means of getting at the savory
morsel which was hanging up in the
larder, but rather too high to be
easily brought down for division.
Finding that he was safe the col
cred man began to acquire conf
&ence, and watching his opportunity,
X1crambled along till he got over the
boor; thence, with a little manage
ment, hS contrived to shut a great
number Of them in the cabin. The
wolves outside appearing to have left
in search Of other game, and those
inside remaining silent with their
glaring eyes intently fixed upon him,
our hero who had no small idea of