The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1909-03-05

between the fugitipes and hiuiself.
The ar4mal snapped at the brush.
wood as 1t scrambled through, and
Eertha, glancing back at that mo-
ment, scream ID. instantly the wols
threw Up its head, caught sight OF
her, and with sort of snarling howl
raced after her across the potato
bills.
Horace gave a warning shout, and
ran Impeded with the crying chill.
dren, the girl seemed certain to be
overtaken befor she could reach the
cabin. The animal was not twenty
yards in front of Horace, but he
could not gain on it, and in despair
he stopped, picked up a large potato
and hurled it.
Horace had been the pitcher for
the junior ball team of the school
of science, and the potato struck the
wolf hard ON the flank, and stagger-
ed it. He flung another and missed
in his hurry, but the brute paused,
looked, round angrily and wheeled in
pursuit of its new enemy.
In his turn Horace ran for his life,
making for the river with a confused
notion of getting into his canoe. He
reached the shore, but the canoe was
not there. He had forgotten just
where he had left it. and he had just
time to wheel and meet the rabid
animals charge with vigorous kick
that caught it under the jaw and
flung it back.
The hoe lay at his feet, where Ber-
tina had dropped it, and he caught 1t
up in time to deal the wolf swing
ing cut with the blade as it plunged
at him. The blow sent it headlong
down the bank, and Horace heard it
splash into the water. He glanced
up and down once more for the ca
| noe, and saw it a dozen yards up
stream. There was not time to reach
it.
In that desperate moment his eye
fell upon the net hung from the
shrubs to dry, and the sight gave him
an inspiration. He dragged it down
and punched it loosely together as
the wolf scrambled up the bank, its
| jaws open and foaming and the wet
hair bristling upon its back. Without
| the slightest hesitation the animal
launched itself at him again, and
Horace flung the net over it.
It stumbled and rolled. entangled,
scrambled to it's feet, and once more
fell, biting furiously at the meshes.
Horace seized the hoe and tried to
draw the seine over it as it squirmed
| and writhed.
1t avs rapidly kicking itself free in
spite of his efforts, however, and
would have been out in a few more
struggles, when Bertha came run
ming toward them, with a gun in her
hands. Stand aside!" she called;
and as Horace jumped away the rifle
| banged.
The wolf leaped into the air, net
and all, with a sharp yelp, and fell
again, still kicking, but blindly and
convulsively. The rife cracked again
and third time. The unfortunate
animals struggles grew feebler, and
in less than minute it was dead.
Then, to Horace's CONSERVATION and
embarrassment, Bertha dropped the
gun. collapsed upon a stump, tremb-
ling violently and cried.
Horace spent the night at the cabin.
after all, for when he had recovered
his scattered outfit, it was too late
to go farther that day. Besides this,
he had been so thoroughly frightened
and shaken by the adventure that ne
felt it too shaky condition to pad
die canoe.
The settler McNeill, who returned
to the cabin about sunset, compli-
mented him with baclwoods gruff-
ness upon his nerve" but Horace
insisted that it was really Bertha
who had exhibited that quality. She
had at any rate, not only succeeded
in saving his life, but in Kidding the
forest of the most terrible danger
that it could harbor.-Youth' Com
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