196 ALARM AMONG THE ' HEFFERS/ 



close to the stock-yard. As wolves and bears were 

 plenty in these parts at that time, we had to shut 

 up the young critters in this way to prevent them 

 being turned into beef before their time. If we had 

 had a barn we would have shut them in it ; but we 

 were only squatters, and fresh fixed upon a new 

 location. 



'On passing the wood-pile to see what was the 

 bother, father picked up a club, and, as the axe lay 

 handy, I fetched it along with me. The night was 

 neither terrible dark, nor was it very light, still a 

 fellow could see six or eight rods forenenst him. As 

 we passed the hay-rick we heard the calves crying 

 piteously, as if they were getting terribly roughly 

 handled. At first we could see nothing ; but, as our 

 eyes got used to the light, the old man spotted a 

 painter on the top of the fence. Soon I see'd him 

 too, and, as I'm sitting here, the pesky cuss was 

 chasing the heflers round and round the pen, which 

 was not more than two rod square, arid, every time 

 he could get a chance from the top of the fence, 

 for, you see, he never left it he gave one of the 

 calves a dab with his paw that made it sing out for 

 bare life. 



' "Well," says the old man to me, " Jem, give us 

 the axe, and you make tracks to the house for the rifle." 



'I did my best to perform his bidding, and run 

 both ways back and forward, still was gone near ten 

 minutes, for the tube (nipple) of the rifle wanted a 

 fresh cap, and, although I have them most of the 



