Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1836-03-25
A NIGHT AMONG THE WOLVES.
BY JOHN O. WHITTIER,
"The gaunt Wolf,

H6 SduHt WOIlS
Seeming the place of slaughter with his
long
And most offensive howl, did ask for
blood"
The wolf!-lho gaunt and fericious
wolf! How mlny tales of wild horro re-
are associated with the name! Tales Of
the deserted battle fieId-where the wolf
and the vuIlure feast together-a horrible
and obscure bang lot, realizing the fear
ful description Of the seige Of Coriuth,
when -
On the edge ofthe gulf"
There sat raven Aapping wo'f,"
amidst the cold and siflning cOrpses of
the slain; or Of the wild S:andinAviln for
ests where the peasant sinks do wn exhaus
ted amid the drift Of winter, aud the wild
VOLTS howl sounds teariuliy 10 his deal
enIng ear, aud lean forms and ev il eyes
gather closer and closer around hlm, as
if impatIent for the death of the doomed
victim.
The early settlers ofNew England were
not unlreqnenlIy incom;noded by the nun
bers and (efocity of the wolves which
prowled around their rude settlements.
The hunter easily overpowered them; nd
with one discharge Of his musket scatter.
ed them from about his dwelling. They
Aod even from the timid children, in the
broad glare Of day, but IN the thick and
solitary night, far away from the dwelling
Of men, they we're terrible from their fen
dish appetite for blood.
have heard Of fearful story Of the
wolf, from the lips Of some of the old set
tiers OF Vermont. Perhaps il is best told
IN the language Of one Of tho witnesses of
the scene.
"Fwas night ofJanu'rv, in the year
H. -Wo hld Oeen 10 a fne quilting lrDl.
ick, about two miles from our settlement
Of four or FIVE HOUSES. 'rwls rather late
about twelve o'clock gueSI-when the
party broke up There was no m3oa-
and dull gray shadow or haz. huag all
around The horiz N, while overhead few
pale and sicaly looking stars, gave us a
dull hight as they shown through dingy
curtain There we're six of in conpl-
ny Harry mason and myself, ond four
as pretty girls as ever grew u9 this side
Of the Green Mountains There were
my two sisters and HArry's sister and his
sveet-heart, the daughter Of our next
door neishbOr. She was right d1wn
handsome Sirl-!hAl ClroIine Alien.
never slw her eqrli, though | am no
stranger TO pretty fIces. She was 50
pleasant and kind ofheart-so gentle and
sweet spoken, anl so intelligent besides,
that every body loved her. She had an
eyes as blue as the hill violet and her
lips were like a red rose leaf in June. No
wonder that Harry Mason loved her
boy though he was for we had neither
Of US seen our seventeenth summer.
Our path lay through thick forest o 4
ok, with here and there tall pine rising
its dark, luII shadow against tho sky, with
an outline rendered IndisInct by the dark
ness. The snow was deep--deeper a
great deul hrn it ever falls Of late years
bat the surface was frozen strongly e.
pough to bear our weight anI we hurried
on over the white pathway with RAPID
steps. We had not proceeded lar, before
II low, long howl cune to our ears, We
all knew 1t in a moment; aud ! could leeI
n Shudder thrilling the arms that we're fol
ded close to my own, sudden cry burst
from the lips OF all OF US --'the wolves
the wolVesw
Did you ever see n wild wolf; not one
Of your Gag ID, broken down, show ami
mails, which are exhibited for six pence
sight, children half price-but fierce
hIf starved ranger of The wintery forest,
h,wIng and hurrying over the barren
snow, actually mad with hunger? There
is no one Of Gods creatures which has
such frighiluI, fendish look as this ami
MI. 1t has the form as well as the spirit
OF 4 demon.
Another aud another howl-aud then
I'VE could hear distinctly the quick patter
Of feet bchindus We all turned right
bout and looked in the direction Of the
'ounn.
uThe devils nre after U.s." said Mason,
pointing to line ordark gliding bodies.
And so in fact they were--a whole troop
of them bowling like so many Indians
in a pow.wow. We had no weapons of
any kind; and we knew enough of the
nature of the vile creatures who followed
us 10 feel that il would be useless TO con.
tend without them. There was not mo
memt to lose-ths savage beasts were
close upon US, to attempt flight would
have been hopeless affair. There was
hut one chance Of escape, and we instant
Iv seized upon it. ., !,
"Totha tree; 1T Us climb this tree!' !
cried. Swinging forward toward a low
bonahed and gnarled oak, which ! saw
at glance might be easily climbed INTO.
Harry Mason sprang I'gh'ly mo me
"A ,ain.V tho lpTrInAU