A Winter Night's Tale. 



A number of years ago Arthur B. and the writer, in com- 

 pany with two other shooting friends, had gone into our winter 

 camp in northern Iowa, where we spent two months trapping 

 and hunting. The first really heavy snow of the season had 

 been falling all day. Charlie and Al W. had started off early 

 to make their line of traps intending to hunt across the ridges 

 on their way home and pick up a deer if possible. When the 

 early December night closed in they had not yet returned ; but 

 this did not worry us any, as they had been over the ground 

 many times and were well acquainted with the country. More 

 than likely they had followed a deer too far to get home and 

 put up with some settler for the night. About 10 o'clock we 

 fixed the fire for the night and crawled into our bunk. Arthur 

 was soon asleep and I was on the borders of Dreamland, when 

 I heard the rattle of a farm wagon and the Yip-yip-yip of a 

 pack of wolves, coming up the river road. I nudged Arthur, 

 listened a minute and said : "Yes ; that is that drunken Swede 

 coming home from town again no danger of the wolves hurt- 

 ing him." 



The road wound along the creek bank near our camp, be- 

 tween big stumps some of which just barely cleared the 

 wheels and it was a wonder how he escaped them. The team 

 was young and lively ; he was giving them their head : and they 

 were cutting a furious pace as they came tearing along over 

 the frozen road. When nearly opposite our camp, there was a 

 crash and we heard the team go flying up the road with the 

 whiffletrees slapping against their legs. Arthur jumped out of 

 bed, opened the tent flap and listened a few minutes ; not a 

 sound could be heard, save the snarling of the wolf pack. 

 "Will," said he, "get into your clothes and come on ! That poor 

 devil is probably stunned and those cowardly brutes will tear 

 him to pieces before we can get to him." 



The storm was clearing off. It was a beautiful winter's 

 night, but we had no time to admire it. When about 100 yards 



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