Year: 1872

its half-open mouth, in which the white
fangs were visible, was huge, lank wolf,
that despite the timidity of its race had
ventured in through the half-open door
in search of food, attracted by the odor
of the meat that was cooking upon the
fire, as it had been prowling about the
cabin, as was frequently the case at this
season of the year.


For minute, Mrs. Sloey was so par
alyzed with horror that for her life or her
child's she could not have moved or ut
tered word, and the wolf also remained
| stationary, shifting the air, and then
moved cautiously toward the fire. to the
momentary relief of the mother, as she
saw that he was farther from the bed
upon which her boy was sleeping, yet
whom it seemed as if no power on earth
/, could save.


Slowly and shyly the wolf approached
the fire, shifting the air as it did so, but
not fancying the strong light thrown out
! by the embers, or the heat that as it ap
preached began to be rather uncomfort
able; and as the monster would dart back
a new pang of horror would assail the
heart of the mother, who, with feelings
! that cannot be described, was watching
any motion on which depended the life
of her child


!
of wind that sometimes precede storm,
came whirling down the chimney, and
scattered sparks about the room, to the
! visible terror and disgust of the wolf,
who sidled toward the door, and just as
Mrs. Sloey was experiencing delightful
hope that the monster would 90 away,
the fierce gust slammed the door to with
a loud bang, and the heart of the mother
sank within her as she saw that the wolf
was prisoner in the cabin


! Horror-stricken at the situation of af
fairs, Mrs. Sloey watched, with sinking
heart, the movements of the wolf, who,
finding himself thus Gagged, began to move
anXiously about the room, no longer seek
ing SO much for food as for a chance to
escape; but at this moment what was
the horror of the mother to see her boy,
awakened, no doubt, by the noise made by
the slamming of the door, rise up in bed
and call her to come to him.


AT the sound of the child's voice, the
wolf paused near the center of the room,
and fixed his eyes upon the little fellow
who, all unconscious of danger, was call
ing for his mother The red tongue still
protruded, and the white teeth glistened
| in the freight, as the monster, half
fearing to spring, crept nearer the bed to
take better look at his prey.


Half frenZied with the terrible danger
of her child, the mother determined to
sacrifice her own life, if need be, for that
of her boy. A plan had suggested itself
to her, a mere hope as it We're, and she
grasped it with all the eagerness that only
those so situated can know


Unfolding the quilt and laying it across
her arm, she prepared to descend the
ladder The wolf was almost at it's foot,
and the bed but short distance away.
The monster saw her coming, and with
| drew his gaze from the child and fixed it
upon his new victim.


When halfway down the ladder, the
wolf made spring at her; this was the
moment for her to execute her hastily
formed plan, and throwing the quilt, she
envelOped the wolf in its folds, who, not
fancying this covering, commenced back
ing toward the other side of the cabin,
striving TO get rid of it, but in vain.
! Now was her moment for action; and
springing to the bed, she clasped her
child in her arms and sprang up the lad
der, unharmed by the wolf, who was still
struggling in vain endeavors to rid itself
from the quilt. With one hand she threw
the ladder back into the room, and then
a cry of thankfulness fell from her lips at
the success that had attended her efforts
to save her child.


! The boy, not knowing the meaning of
this behavior on the part of the mother,
and somewhat frightened withal, began
to cry and while she tried to hush him
in silence again, she did not take her eyes
| from the wolf, who, completely blind
| folded, was spinning about the room in
| the most eccentric manner.


1t was more by its subsequent action
| than by the fortunate throwing of the
quilt by Mrs Sloey that the wolf became
entangled so hopelessly in it. At first she
watched his actions with satisfaction, but
as each circle brought the wolf nearer to
| the fire new terror took possession of
her heart. Should it blunder therein, as
he seemed fated to do, would not the cab
in be set on fire thereby and death as
| horrible as the one from which she had
just rescued her child be their fate.
Trembling with fear she watched every
motion, and at last that which she had
feared occurred.


| Each circle, as the wolf frantically en-
deavored to free itself from the covering,
had brought it nearer to the fire place,
under the mass of glowing embers. A
howl of rage and pain followed as it
| sprang out again upon the floor, its COW
ering sheet of fire Another bound and
it landed upon the bed, where, by fran
tic effort. it threw off its fiery cover, and
uttering yelps of pain it sprang again to
the floor and rushed around the room for
a chance to escape.


The bed was all afire in moment, and
Mrs. Sloey uttered cry of despair as the
flames caught in every direction and a
dense volume of smoke rolled up through
the aperture in the loft.


Father in Heaven. must we perish y
exclaimed the mother, as she pressed
the child to her breast Husband,
husband why do you not come and save
your wife and child from this horrible
fate ?''


No answer to the frantic ejaculation
came to the ear of the distracted woman
save the cracking of the flames as they
caught upon the dry wood of the cabin,
and sent their forked tongues up to the
spot where she stood, while her ears were
filled with the sharp cry of the wolf as ii
ranged round and round in it's vain en-
deavors to escape, while ever and anon the
flames would catch upon the fur, where ii
was not already scorched off in it's first
contact with the fire, causing it to utter a
howl of agony.


Although death stared her in the face,
Mrs. Sloey was not woman to give up
so long as there was a chance for life left
to her. AS we have already said, there
were no windows in the loft, so that ave-
nue. of escape was denied her. The roof
was covered with hewn plank fastened to
the ridge-pole and the top log of the sides
by means of stout wooden pins. To re-
move one or more of these was her only
chance of escape, but to do this with her
own unaided hands seemed to be impossi
BILE. Half-choked by the smoke, and her
child clinging to her and crying with all
It's power, she felt about her to find some
instrument to aid her in the accomplish
ment of her purpose but all she could
ind was stout stick of wood that hel
husband had placed there to season for an
axe-helve. Inserting this between the
log and one of the planks, she essayed
with all her strength to raise it from its
place, but without success. Finding this


one immovable, she tried another, will
/ like result.


Hotter and more sitting grew the all
about her, louder cracked the flames be