State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1831-1836, 1836-01-19

CIOuS VOL !-IlOW llduy bdlGS VI WIN
horror, are associated with the name!
Tales of the deserted battlefield
where the wolf and the vulture feast
together-a horrible and obscene
banquet, realizing the fearful de.
csripton of the seige of Corinth,
when
"on the edge Of the gulf,
There sat a raven tapping wolf"
amidst the cold and stifiening cor
ses of the slain: or of the wild
Scandinavian forests, where the
peasant sinks down exhausted amid
the drift of winter, and the wild
VOLTS howl sounds fearfully in his
deafening ear, and learn forms and
evil eyes gather closer and closer
around him, as if impatient for the
death 70 the doomed victims.
"The early settlers of New Eng
land were not unfrequentIy incom-
NODDED by the numbers and ferocity
Of the wolves, which prowled around
their rude settlements. The hunter
easily overpowered them, and
with one discharge Of his musket
scattered them from about his dwell
ling. They fled even from the timid
child, in the broad glare of day
but in the thick and solitary night,
far away from the dwelling of men,
they were terrible from their fen
dish and ferocious appetite for blood.
81 have heard of a fearful story
Of the wolf, from the lips of some
Of the old settlersFof Vermont. Per-
haps it may be best told in the Ian
guage of one ofthe witnesses of the
scene.
"Twas night Of January, II.
We had been to fine quilting frolic
about two miles from our settlement
of four or five log houses. Twas
rather late-about twelve o'clock I
should guess-when the party broke
up. There was no moon-and a
dull grey shadow or haze hung ar
ound the horizon, while overheard
few pale and sickly looking stars
gave us their dull light as they shone
through dingy curtain. There
was six of US in company-Harry
Mason, and four as pretty girls as
ever grew up this side of the Green
Mountains. There were my two
sisters and Harry's sister and his
sweetheart, the daughter of our next
door neighbor. She was a down
right handsome girl-that Caroline
Allen. | never saw her equal though
| am no stranger to pretty faces.
She was so pleasant and kind of
heart-so gentle and sweet spoken,
and so intelligent besides that every
body loved her. She had an eye as
blue as the hill violet, and her lips
were like red rose leaf in June.
No wonder then that Harry Mason
loved her-boy tho he was-for we
had neither Of us seen our seven
teenth summer.
sour path lay through a thick
forest Of oak, with here and there q
tall pine rising its dark full shadow
against the sky, with an outline rem
dered indistinct by the darkness.
The snow was deep-deeper a great
deal than it ever falls Of late years
but the surface was frozen strongly
enough to bear our weight, and we
hurried on over the white pathway
with rapid steps. We had not pro-
ceeded far. before low long howl
came to our ears. We all knew il
in a moment; and l could feel a
shudder thrilling the arms that were
folded close to my own, as sudden
cry burst from the lips of all of us
the wolves the wolves! 2
"Dld you ever see a wild wolf
not one of your Gagged, broken dowr
show animals, which are exhibited
for sixpence a sight, and children
half price-but a fierce half starved
ranger Of the wintry forests, bowling
and hurrying over the barren snow
actually mad with hunger? There
is no one of Gods creatures which
has got such frightful fendish Iool
as this animal. 1t has the form a,
we'll as the spirit of a demon.
"Another, and another howl
and then we could hear distinctly
the quick patter Of feet behind us
We all turned about and looked il
the direction of the sound. Tn,
divils are after us said Mason, point
ing to line of dark gliding bodies