Show MUSIC CHARMS SAVAGE BREAST TREED FIDDLER KEPT WOLVES DANCING UNTIL THEY DROPPED DROP-PED FROM FATIGUE STEPS CHANGED WITH TUNES Minnesota Homesteader Bound For a Dance Interrupted by Wild Brutes Makes Them Waltz to Death Wlrt MinnTho only man in this part of the country that can play a fiddle worth whllo Is Henry I lllnkons a homesteader whoso services are always In demand whenever the lumberjacks lum-berjacks give a dunce which they did tho other night at Houpt After Hlnkcns had eaten his supper and done tho evening chores about his place ho put his kit under his arm and started on the sevenmile tramp through tho woods to Iloupt Thoro was considerable snow on tho ground tho thermometer was hovering about tho zero mark and tho sky was clear and brilliant with stars Hlnkona trudged along the lonely trail whistling whist-ling the latest dance tune and occasionally occa-sionally slapping his hands together to keep them warm Ho had gone but a couple of miles when ho heard the distant bay of a wolf He paid no attention to It for wolves are common In this section and rarely attack a man unless pressed by hunger Neverthelesstwhen ho heard several answering howls Hlnkcns quickened his pact and occasionally threw an apprehensive glance over his shoulder It was not long before ho discovered that halt a dozen big gray fellows were trotting down the trail after him only a few hundred yards away The homesteader was unarmed and seeing a giant pine partly broken off by thg wJnd near the trail decided to ascend It In tho hope that tho wolves would pass him by unnoticed Ho reached the top of tho stump a trifle tri-fle over six feet above tho level of the snow none too soon for tho tmpd of wolves Instead of passing on down the trail followed his footsteps to tho foot of the pine and seeing their prey treed sat down on their haunches and awaited developments Nothing happening one big follow apparently the leader of tho band suddenly sud-denly leaped nt Hlnkens feet which wore hanging carelessly down tho side of the tree trunk Hlnkcns drew them up just In time to escape having his flesh nipped and then the rest of the band began to follow their leader and see how near they could come to nipping nip-ping the treed homesteader HlnUens began to find their amusement amuse-ment rather tiresome and remembering remember-ing to have heard somewhere that there Is a charm In music which soothes the savage breast decided to try tho effects of a tune upon the wolves He unloosened his kit drew the flddlo to his chin and after a little piellmtnary tuning up started In with his favorite Teasing Teasing I was Only Teasing You The effect upon tho brutes was instantaneous In-stantaneous They stood stockstlll for an Instant with ears pricked up as if curious to know whence came tho lively music Then the full force of the catchy ragtime seemed to strike them and swaying their bodies In unison with the notes of the music iI i I they began what Hlnkens afterward said was the boat Imitation of a cakewalk cake-walk ho had over soon The big gray loader was especially active and cut more fantastic pigeon wings than the biggest buck that evor led a walk fly tho tlmo Teasing waR finished Hlnkcns had warmed to the work and struck Into the llluo Danube waltz and again tho timber wolves performed per-formed their gyrations In unison with the music Hlnkons likes to flddlo with him it Is a labor of love So ho continued to play waltz following waltz with a twostip thrown In now and then and an occasional divergence to ragtime And still tho wolves leaped and bounded to the strains of the music Apparently It had become a contest between man and boast to see which would lire first Hlnkens felt that his reputation was at stake and sawed 5Lf 4yIh The Wolves Danced In Unison with the Music tune after tune out of his fiddle with such vigor and animation that he did not notice the lapse of limo When however the lumberjacks wore ready to begin their dance they found their fiddler was absent and a party of them started down the trail to look for him They had gone about half tho distance when they woro puzzled puz-zled to hear the strains of a waltz wafted on tho night air from the woods a little way off the trail They started to Investigate and discovered Hlnkons porched on top of the tree stump fiddling away for dear Ute Five big gray wolves wero stretched out on tho snow apparently dead while one Immense fellow was circling round and round with faltering step and drooping head trying in vain to keep time to the exhilarating strains of the waltz which was flowing under Hlnkenss skilful manipulation of the bow They gave a shout and Hlnkena dropped his fiddle to the ground and himself followed it Ills arm was so tired ho could scarcely raise it but ho was able to whisper In a husky tone I outstayed em anyhow The wolves were speedily despatch cd and Hlnkcns was lifted on the shoulders of tho sturdy Jacks and carried to the danco hall whore ho played for the balance of tho night j |