New National Fourth Reader | Page 8

Charles J. Barnes
the wolves.
"This time he skated up close behind them, just at the moment when
Harry had turned again, and thus made his second escape.
"At this moment, we heard Frank calling out to his brother to make for
the shore, while, instead of retreating himself, he stopped until Harry
had passed, and then dashed off, followed closely by the whole pack.
"Another slight turn brought him nearly in our direction; but there was
a large hole broken through the ice close by the shore, and we saw that,
unless he turned again, he would skate into it.
"We thought he was watching the wolves too intently to see it, and we
shouted to warn him. Not so; he knew better than we what he was
about.
"When he had reached within a few feet of the hole, he wheeled sharply
to the left, and came dashing up to the point where we stood to receive
him.

"The wolves, too intent upon their chase to see any thing else, went
sweeping past the point where he had turned, and the next moment
plunged through the broken ice into the water.
"Then Cudjo and I ran forward, shouting loudly, and, with the heavy
rail and the long spear, commenced dealing death among them.
"It was but a short, though exciting scene. Five of them were speared
and drowned, while the sixth crawled out upon the ice and was rapidly
making off, frightened enough at his cold ducking.
[Illustration]
"At that moment I heard the crack of a rifle and saw the wolf tumble
over.
"On turning round I saw Harry with, my rifle, which my wife had
brought down and handed to him, as a better marksman than herself.
"The wolf, only wounded, was kicking furiously about on the ice; but
Cudjo now ran out, and, after a short struggle, finished the business
with his spear.
"This was, indeed, a day of great excitement in our forest home. Frank,
who was the hero of the day, although he said nothing, was no doubt
not a little proud of his skating feat.
"And well he might be, as, but for his skill, poor Harry would no doubt
have fallen a prey to the fierce wolves."
* * * * *
Language Lesson.--Let pupils use other words to express the meaning
of what is given below in dark type.
Again he changed his direction.
He then dashed off.

He wheeled sharply to the left.
Cudjo and I commenced dealing death among them.
Cudjo finished the business with his spear.
Harry would have fallen a prey to the fierce wolves.
Tell the story in your own words, using the points in the following
Analysis.--1. Frank and Harry go to skate. 2. The alarm. 3. The wolves.
4. The pursuit. 5. The escape. 6. Death of the wolves.
* * * * *

LESSON VII.
craft, _ship; a boat of any kind_.
mew'ing, _crying, like a cat_.
a dopt'ed, _received as one's own_.
ad mir'er, one who likes another.
voy'age, journey by water.
dain'ty, nice in form or taste.
a loft', _on high; in the air_.
wind'ward, the point from which the wind blows.
star'board, _the right-hand side of a ship_.
bruised, _injured, hurt_.
* * * * *

OUR SAILOR CAT.
She was a sailor cat, indeed, and it was a sailor who first brought her on
board.
Our steamer was lying at her pier in the North River, at New York,
taking in cargo.
One of our men, who had been ashore, came back with a little
gray-and-white kitten in his arms. She was very poor and thin, and her
little furry coat was sadly soiled with dirt and grease.

But she had not lost all her fun, for she was making play with her tiny
fore-paws at the ends of the sailor's red beard, to honest Jack's great
delight.
"Where did you pick that up, Jack?" asked the third officer.
"Well, your honor," said Jack Harmon, touching his cap with a grin,
"seems to me she must have left her ship and gone to look for another,
for I found her tramping along the pier there, and mewing as if she was
calling out for somebody to show her the road.
"So I thought that, as we have many rats aboard the old craft, she would
be able to pick up a good living there; and I called to her, and she came
at once, and here she is."
Here she was, sure enough; and as Jack ended his story, she chimed in
with a plaintive little "Me-ow," which said, as plainly as ever any cat
spoke yet, "I'm very cold and hungry, and I do wish somebody would
take me below and give me some food!"
She had not long to wait.
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