Free The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder Page B

country, but still they were
     seen at times, and now and then they killed a stray yearling or tried to get into a
     flock of sheep.
    “That sounds toward home and as though they were going in that direction,” Manly said. “Do
     you suppose they will go into the sheep yard?“ ”Not with Laura there,” Peter answered. But Manly was not so sure and they tried to hurry faster on their way.
    At home Laura was beginning to be anxious. Supper was nearly ready, but she knew Manly and
     Peter would do the night chores before they ate. They should have been home before now and she wondered what could have happened.
    Rose had been given her supper and was sleeping soundly, but Nero, the big, black dog, was
     uneasy. Now and then he raised his head and growled.
    Then Laura heard itthe howl of a wolf! Again the wolf howled, and then several together,
     and after that, silence.
    Laura's heart stood still. Were the wolves coming to the sheep yard? She waited,
     listening, but could hear nothing but the swish of the snow against the windows; or was
     that a sheep blatting?
    Must she go to the sheep yard and see that they were all right? She hesitated and looked
     at Rose, but Rose was still asleep. She would be all right if left alone. Then Laura put
     on her coat and hood, lighted the lantern, and taking it and the dog with her, went out
     into the darkness and the storm.
    Quickly she went to the stable door, opened it, and reaching inside secured the five-tined
     stable fork; then shutting fast the door again, she went the length of the barn, flashing
     her lantern light as far as she could in every direction. Nero trotted ahead of her, sniffing the air.
    Around the sheep yard they went but everything was quiet except for the sheep moving
     restlessly around inside. There was no sight nor sound of the wolves until, as Laura stood
     by the yard gate listening for the last time before going back to the house, there came
     again the lone cry of a wolf. But it was much farther to the north than before. The wolves
     had gone by on the west and all was well, though Nero growled low in his throat. Laura
     hadn't known she was frightened until she was safely in the house; then she found her
     knees trembling and sat down quickly.
    Rose was still asleep and it was not long before Manly and Peter were there.
    “What would you have done if you had found the wolves?” Manly asked.
    “Why, driven them away, of course. That's what I took the pitchfork for,” Laura answered.
    In December Laura felt again the familiar sickness. T h e house felt close and hot and she
     was miserable. But the others must be kept warm and fed. The work must go on, and she was the one who must do it.
    On a day when she was particularly blue and unhappy, the neighbor to the west, a bachelor
     living alone, stopped as he was driving by and brought a partly filled grain sack to the
     house. When Laura opened the door, Mr. Sheldon stepped inside, and taking the sack by the
     bottom, poured the contents out on the floor. It was a paper-backed set of Waverly
     novels.
    “Thought they might amuse you,” he said. “Don't be in a hurry! Take your time reading
     them!” And as Laura exclaimed in delight, Mr. Sheldon opened the door, closed it behind
     him quickly, and was gone. And now the four walls of the close, overheated house opened wide, and Laura wandered with brave knights and
     ladies fair beside the lakes and streams of Scotland or in castles and towers, in noble
     halls or lady's bower, all through the enchanting pages of Sir Walter Scott's novels.
    She forgot to feel ill at the sight or smell of food, in her hurry to be done with the
     cooking and follow her thoughts back into the book. When the books were all read and Laura came back to reality, she found herself feeling much
     better.
    It was a long way from the scenes of Scott's glamorous old tales to the little house on
     the bleak, wintry prairie, but Laura brought back