The Wolf Girl

Northwest, past the desert, lies Devil’s River. A man and his wife settled there, where Dry Creek runs to the river. John Dent was a trapper, after beaver; the animals were plentiful there. He and Molly Dent built a little cabin from brush, and near it, an arbor to provide them with shade. Molly soon became pregnant with their child, around the time that snowfall began and temperatures dropped dangerously low. John rode out on horseback, to their nearest neighbors several miles away to ask for their help. A violent storm came up during the return journey, and John was crushed by a falling tree. The neighbors were able to find the cabin, after hours of searching. By the time they arrived, Molly too was deceased and her baby was gone. With wolf tracks all around the cabin, they assumed the worst had befallen the infant. They buried Molly Dent’s body and left, and never spoke of the incident again.