A Night In A Barn With Wolves

We find the following in the Piscataqua Obsener : Silaa Wood, a true-born Yankee, tells to " the squire," one Winter evening, the story of nis wolf adventure in Stockville, Vt. He had been hired by one Dea. Nathans, to watch a newlyraised barn frame all night, and while there a prowling wolf scented hitn and called together a pack of twenty or thirty to help eat him up. He says : " The varminta were now close by, and just when I liad given up all hope, 1 feit something touch ag'in my head - it was a rope as had been iast to one of the ruiters. I guess, 'Squire, if that 'ere rope had been a foot shorter, l'd not been here now tellin' this story ! The way I went up that rope, hand over hand, was a caution. And l'd barely swung uiyself on the rafter, and began lashin' myself to the beam with a rope, when, 'Squire - it makes iny blood run cold to teil it - the barn was alive with wolves, yelpin', leapin' and fallin' over each other. I could hear thoni rontin' among the shavings ; and in a minute they had them spread all over the barn Hoor. Then they began to inuzzle the earth and scratch it up with their paws. At last one of 'in scented me, and told 'the others with a yelp. Then, of all the yells I ever heard !- 'Squire, I most swooned away ; and if I hadn't lashed myself to the rafter, l'd ha' feil right down among 'em. Oh, such a yell I never heard atore, and hope I'U never hear agin! Though 1 knowed they couldn't get at me, it was dreadful to be there in. the dead of night with a pack of wolves lickra' their slaverin' jaws, and thirstin' lor my blood. They ran round and round the barn, and leaped on to each other's backs, and sprang into the air ; but it was no use, aud at last I began to get kinder easy, and I looked down upon the howlin' varmmts and bantered them. 'Squire, you'd ha' thought they understood a feller. Every time I holiered and shook my fist at them, they yelped and jumptid more than ever. For all this, I wasn't sorry when it began to grow a little lighter ; and about üalf an hour before dawn they began to see it was no use ; so they give me one long, loud farewell howl afore they went. But, 'Squire, the most curieus part of the story is to come. Some time after they went it had grown so light I could see 'em quite plaiu, and an ugly set of beasts they was, and no mistake. Well, 1 noticed one wolf separate himself from the pack and try to shnk away. He had his tail between his legs, jest like a dog wheu he's beaten, and nad a cowed look, as if he was ashamed and afeared like. All at once he made a spring out of the barn, but the rest of the pack was after hiin like lightnin'. " 'Squire," continued the Yankee, laying his hand on my sleeve, ' you may believe it or not, jest as you please; but beyond some hide and hair, they didn't leave a piece of that 'ere wolf aa big as my hand. He was the scout as give the üignal to the others, and they devoured tiim out of hunger and revenge, 'cause they couldn't get me."