Evening star., 1927-10-01
Lone Wolf.

"NHERE was a cracking or snow
as two figures pushed their
way through the underbrush
i down to the edge of the lake
and there paused to brush the
still clinging masses of white from
their leggings and to fasten their
skates firmly and securely to their
heavy homemade boots. Then they
shot out across the smooth, frozen
surface almost as buoyantly as birds,
and almost as naturally, the sharp
click, click of their steel runners clear
and musical in the crisp, still air.
This is better" one Of them called
to his companion, with an infection
Of satisfaction in his voice. Twenty
minutes more and we can be at
home" "Yes, 10 miles this way is
easier than l plowing through the
woods" rejoined the other cheerily.
"But won't father be glad to know
that everybody is coming?"
Since early morning they had been
securing the surrounding country
up the lake and down, to this trapper
and that, back into the interior to
various farmers and squatters. to
Stebbins, who, kept. the store at the
crossroads; to Anson Perry. the fur
trader, and even to the half-breed at
sage that meeting would be held at
their house on the following Sunday
and that DIR. Bates himself of Duluth
would be there to speak. And every
one of them, not even emitting the
half-breed, had promised to come.
Side by side the boys sped on, the
miles slipping away easily behind:
Now and then a point Of land rushed
up and past, dim and Shadowy in the
white light of the mooa. and once or
twice in the far dista nee they heard
the sinister voice of some night
prowling animal. On and still on, and
then through the crisp air came the
sharp click of other skates, followed
by the glimpse Of a dim figure, which
rapidly grew palmer as it approached.
said "Aunt Roxy" and the other
added, Going home to see her
mother" and then the figure shot
past, waving it's hand and smiling
brightly, and they raised their fur
caps and flew on. feeling a sudden
glow of pleasure at the unexpected
meeting. Everybody knew and loved
Aunt Roxy, the neighborhood "aunt,"
who went from house to house doing
sewing or nursing, and who, in spite
of her 50-odd years, could still give
the boys and girls something to do
when she went skating with them.
Now she was on her way to spend the
HOLIDAYS with her mother at the foot
of the lake. Everybody knew she was
going and everybody felt glad and
everybody wished he could be there
. to see the meeting.
One, two, five minutes passed, and
the came a long, menacing howl
which made the boys shiver involun-
tarily and bend forward to their work.
They knew that voice. Every Winter,
when SHOWS grew deep and FOOD
scarce. wild animals were accustomed
to make predatory incursions from
their northern fastenesses, and among
them 1t was not uncommon to near
the bowling of wolves. But this was
not one wolf Of an ordinary pack, but
an outcast from its own kind, grown
fiercer and more cunning through its
isolation. All the country round had
learned to fear him and to hunt him,
and to lay traps for him-but so far
in vain. The boys faces grew tense
as they sped on, and they listened,
almost with bated breath, for the
swift following OF footsteps behind.
Ordinarily they would not have run
from one wolf. but this was different,
almost as dangerous as an entire
pack. And. besides, they were un-
armed.
But suddenly one of them cried.
"Aunt Roxy" and then both sunk
their skate heels deep into the ice and
came to an abrupt stop. A quick
look into each others eyes and then
they whirled and sped back over the
course they had just come. That long
exultant howl had meant more than
mere defiance; it proclaimed the dis
covery of prey. Aunt Roxy had gone
in that direction and the wolf had
scented her trail.
Scarce a minute had passed since
the fierce howl of discovery. but only