Show t 1 ADVENTURERS' ADVENTURERS CLUB HEADLINES HEADLINES FROM THE LIVES s OF o F PEOPLE P E 0 P L ELI LIKE KEY YOURSELF 0 U R S ELF I IThe The Beast at a aELLO t the Door ELLO EVERYBODY HELLO Heres Here's Oskar of Yonkers N. N Y come cometo cometo cometo to join the Adventurers' Adventurers Club and to furnish us with still another illustration of how truth can be stranger than fiction If you were reading a story in a magazine and came on ona ona ona a passage that described how wolves killed a calf on a Penn Penn- Pennsylvania Pennsylvania sylvania farm not more than sixty miles west of Philadel Philadel- Philadelphia Philadelphia Philadelphia phia and in the year what 1926 well what would you think of that story If U you arc are like me you'd probably say the author was crazy and turn to another story that sounded more true to life me A fiction writer just couldn't put an Incident of that sort down on paper and get away with It But Old Man Fact doesn't go by the rules that govern fiction writers Its It's actually true that wolves have killed calves in eastern Pennsylvania and md and that isn't the half halt of it either cither as Oskar is here to tell you In the fall of 1926 Oskar was taking a motor trip from Boston to Louisville Ky and stopped overnight at his uncles uncle's farmhouse on the Lincoln highway 10 miles northeast of Pa Pat It was Oskars Oskar's first visit to the farm in several years and his aunt who came to the thedoor thedoor thedoor door was surprised to see him And when presently his uncle came in from rom feeding the chickens he seemed to be not only surprised but wor wor- worried worried ried about something as well I Worried About Wolves They all aU sat sal down to supper and during the course c urse of the meal Oskar found out what was worrying his bis uncle He lie told Oskar I that the night before a young calf had bad been killed by wolves that came from the surrounding woods It wasn't the first time that sort of thing had happened either he said Time and again he had set traps for the beasts but never ne had he been able to catch any of ot them Now he was at his wits' wits end for one by one the animals animal were killing kUling oft off all his most valuable live l ve stock After Arter supper they went into the parlor Oskars Oskar's uncle continued talking about the wolves He had just about decided to sit up in the barn all night and see if he couldn't get some of ot them with a rifle We i f i s r irk He fired as one of the wolves sprang at the horses were all sitting around the stove Oskar says for it had been cold all an allday anday allday day and after dark the wind started to blow ominously We could hear hearit it whistling about the house and the warmth of the fire lire was comforting About nine o'clock there was a knock at the door Oskars Oskar's uncle got up pp to see sec who it was and Oskar could hear him Mm say Hello Donald to someone and invite him to come in The visitor was one of the local Dutch American can farmers and he be said said I I aint got much time Just thought Id I'd drop in and find out If you were going into Inlo town tomorrow Why yes Oskars Oskar's uncle answered Im going over first thing Jn In the morning Are the missus and the kids with you outside in the wagon the farmer replied And scarcely were the words out of his mouth when they heard a womans woman's scream accompanied by the terrified whining of the horses I II I Farmer Feared for His Children In an instant the little farmhouse parlor was a bedlam Oskars Oskar's aunt started up from her chair The visitor rooted to his own chair cried Good Lord what's that Oskars Oskar's uncle was on his feet running across the room wolves he shouted over his shoulder as he reached behind a bureau for his rifle riOe Wolves In the light of the small electric bulb Oskar could sec see the color leave the farmers farmer's face Outside the wind howled The horses were still screaming and now the cattle and the chickens Joined in the lire terrible din in Wolves the farm farm- farmer er repeated Oh Ob my God My Iy kids are out there lie He was out of his chair and across the floor like a shot lie He Jerked open the door lie He and my uncle says sas Oskar went through the doorway at the same time But my uncle carried a rifle and the farmer was unarmed Over the din of the animals and the howling of the wind I 1 could hear their footsteps crossing the porch clumping porch clumping down rn the four wooden steps Then I 1 got up and followed followed The horses were still screaming dreadfully but after that first wom worn woman's womans womans woman's ans an's shriek no sound had come from the occupants of the wagon A Alight Alight Alight light dark form sprang at one of the horses find nd the horse reared Oskars Oskar's uncle knelt down on the ground raised his rifle and fired Wolves Scared Away by Shots The sky was almost pitch black and the road was so far away from the house that it was impossible for the men to tell teU if the shot had been effective Oskars Oskar's uncle fired tired again then again then all aU three of them ran toward the wagon As they ran they could see sec black forms scurrying away across the fields The shots had frightened the wolves away When they arrived at the wagon they found the farmers farmer's wife wile slumped unconscious in he the scat seat The children in the back of the wagon were awake and crying The horse his skin torn and bleeding and his neck bitten in lu several places was rearing and kicking Licking and trying to break away It took Oskars Oskar's uncle a long time to quiet the frantic animal Meanwhile the farmer carried his wife into the house and gave her a afew afew afew few drops of whisky When she came to she told a harrowing story of seeing throe enormous wolves appear suddenly out of the darkness and I Jump at the horses horse's neck and flanks At the sight of them she had screamed and fainted I My uncle loaned his friend another horse and a rifle to get home with says Oskar and after the children were calmed and the mother I felt better belter they started off again They got home safely and several weeks later my uncle wrote me that hed he'd shot one of the marauders marauders-a a I little fellow weighing pounds m mAnd And all I want to know v Is Why Wiry do guys like Frank Buck I travel all the way to Africa Copyright Service |