The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1845-11-26
THRILLING SKETCH.
From the Legends Of Ne,o England.l
A NIGHT AMONG THE WOLVES.
BY JOHN @. WHITTIER.
'The gaunt wolf,
Seeming the place of slaughter, with his long,
And most offensive howl. did ask for food.,, /

Seeming the place of slaughter, with his long,
And most offensive howl, did ask for food"
! 1t was night of IL. We had been to
fine quilting frolic, about two miles from our set
Element of four or five log houses. Twas rather
late, about II o'clock, should guess, when the
party broke up, There was no moon; and a dull
grey shadow of haze hung all around the hori-
zon, while overhead few pale and sickly look
ing 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
Harrys sister, and his sweetheart the daughter of
our next door neighbor. She was downright
handsome grl--that Caroline Allen. Inever saw
her equal, though | am no stranger to pretty fa-
ces. She was so pleasant and kind of heart; so
gentle and sweet spoken, and so intelligent be-
sides that every body loved her. She had an eye
as blue as the hill violet, and her lips were like
rose red leaf No wonder then 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 of oak,
with here and there tall pine raising it's dark full
shadow against the sky, with an outline rendered
ndistnct by the darkness. The snow was deep;
years; but the surface was frozen strongly enough
to bear our weight, and we hurried on over the
bright pathway with rapid steps. We had not pro-
ceeded far, before long howl came to our ears
We all knew it in moment; and could feel a
shudder thrilling the arms that were close to my
own, as sudden cry burst from the lips of all OF
u.s. "the wolves! the wolves!!'
Did you ever see wild woIf-not one of your
Gagged, broken down show animals, which are ex-
hibited for six pence sight, and children hall
pricc; bnt fierce half starved ranger of the
wntry forest, bowling and hurrying over the bar.
rem snow actually mad with hunger2 There is
/ no one Of Gods creatures which has got such a
!, frightfdl, fendish look as this ANIMAL 1t has the
, form as we'll as the spirit Of demon.
Another, and another howl; and then we could
hear distinctly the quick patter of feet behind us
| We all turned right around and looked in the d
f recton of the sound. FThe devils are after US,
said Mason, pointing to a line of dark gliding
T bodies And so in fact they were, a whole trooT
of them, bowling like so many Indians in pow
| WOW. We had no weapons of any kind; and VIC
, knew enough OF the nature of the vile cteatures
who followed us to know that it would be useles.
to contend with them. There was not a moment
+ to loose; the savage beasts were close upon us
l To attempt flight would have been hopeles:
affair. Thele was but one chance of escape
and we instantly seized upon it.
''To the tree; let us climb the tree!' | cried
springng forward towards low boughed ant
, gnared oak; which saw at glance might bt
easily climbed iuto.
, Harry Mason sprang lightly into the tree anc
aided in placing the terrified girls in a place o
!, comparative security among the thick bows.
was the last on the ground, and the whole troop
were yelling at my heels before Ireached the res
r of the company. There was one moment o
t hard breathing and wild exclamations among us
2 and then feeling of calm thankfulness for on
{ fescape. The night was cold and we soon begal
!, TO shiver and shake, like so many sailors on tn
. top mast of an Iceland whaler. But there wa
y no murmurs--no complaining among us, for WI
f could distinctly see the gaunt, attenuated bodie
: Of the wolves beneath us, and every now and
then we could see great, glowing eyes, starin,
e up in the trees where we were seated And the
e their yells, they were loud, long and devilish.
> know not how long we had remained in thi
If situation, for we had no means of ascertaInin
n the time-when heard limb of the tree crack
G ing as if breaking down beneath the weight c
n some of US ;and moment afterwards shrek wer
S through my ears like the piercing of knife
IS A light form went down through the naked brar
ches, and fell with dull and heavy sound upo
the stiff snow.
ooh, God! | am gone!"
1t was the voice of Caroline Allen. The poe
e girl never spoke again! There was a horrid di;
l, illness and confusion in my brain, and l spok
n not; and stirred not, for the whole at that tim
a was like an ugly, unreal dream. | only remem
= Der that there we're cries and shudderings aroun
J me perhaps joined theIn-and there were SIN,
: thered groans and dreadful hows underneath
J. 1t was all over in moment Poor Caroline! !
+ She was literally eaten alive! The wolves ha
IS a frightful feast, and they became raving ma
d with the taste of blood.
Y, When came fully to myself--when the trul
l. horrible dream went off, and ii lasted but mC
mont Il struggled TO shake off the arms Of m
s. sisters, which were clnging around me, an
: could have cleared myself should have jun
10 ed down among the raving animals. But wht
l. a second thought came over me- knew that al
: Iattempt at rescue would be useless. AS for DO
n Mason, he was wild with horror. He had trie
n to follow Caroline when she fell, but he cou
le not shake off the grasp Of his terrified sister. II
'ir youth, and weak constitution and frame were u
I'd able to withstand the dreadful trial and he stot
ly close by my side, with his hands firmly cencht
= and his teeth set closely, gazing down on 4
ne dark wrnngling creatures below with the fix
m stare of a maniac. 1t was indeed territ
scene. Around was the thick cold night, a