American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-11-13

And MOST offensive h1%! did ask for food
Twas night Of January, IL. We had
y cen TO Z fine quilting fTolic, about two miles
from our settlement of four OF five log houses
Twas rather late-Gbout II o'clock, | should
| gness--when the party broke up. There was
no meon-and dull, grey shadow Of haze
! hGng around the horizon, while overhead few
pale and sickly looking stars gave us their dull
| light as they ahone through a dingy curtain
| There were mytwo sisters and Harry's sister
and his sweetheart, the daughter of our next
door neighbor. She was downright hand
seine girI--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 inteh-
] gent besides that every body loved her. She
| had an eye as blue as the hil violet, and her
lips were like rcd rose leaf in June. No won
der then that Harry Mason loved hcr--boy
tho he was--ior we had neither of US seen our
seventeenth summer.
Our path lay through a thick forest Of oak,
with here and there tall pine rising lis dark
full shadow against the sky, with an outline
rendered indstinct by the darkness. Tho snow
was deep; deeper great deal than it ever falls
of late years; but the surface was frozen strong
ly enough to bear our weight, and we hurried
Oh over the bright pathway with rapid steps.
We had not proceeded far, before long low
howl came to our ears. We all knew it in
moment; and could feel Il shuddeI thrilling
the arms that were close 20 my own, and
sudden cry burst from the lips of all of us
"the wolves! the Wolves'
Did you ever see Il wild wolf:-not one Of
your Gagged, broken down, show animals, which
are exhibited for sXpence sight, and children
half price; but fierce halt-starycd ranger of
the wintry forest, bowling and hurrying over
the barren snow, actually mad with hunger!
There is no one of Gods creatures which has
rot such irightful fendish look Us this ami
NAL. 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 be-
hind us. We all turned right about and look
ed in the direction Of the sound The devils
are after us, said Mason, pointing TO line Of
dark gliding bodies. And SO 10 fact they were
! "a whole troop ofthem-howlng like so many
Indians i'll pow WOW. We had no wea pons
of any kind; aud we knew enough of tho ma
ture of the vile creatures who followed US to
t know that it would be useless to contend with
J them. There was not Il moment to lose; the
savage beasts were close upon u.s. To attempt
flight would have been hopeless affair
There was but one chance of escape and We
instantly seized upon it.
''To the tree; let US climb this trce?" | cried
springng forward towards low boughed and
gnar!ed oak which saw al L glance might be
easily cmed into.
Harry Mason sprang lightly into the tree and
aided i'll placing the terrified girls in place Of
comparative security among the thick bOughs
was the last on the ground. and the whole
troop were yelling at my heels before reached
the rest of the company. There was one mo-
mcnt of hard breathing and wild EXPLANATIONS
among us, and then feeling of calm thankful
ness for our escape. The night was cold and
we soon began to shake, like so many sailors
OF the top mast of an Iceland whaler. But
there was no murmurs--no complaining among
us, for we could distinctly see the gaunt, at
tenuated bodies of the wolves beneath IN, and
every now and then VIC could see great, 9 low
ing eyes, staring up in the trees where we were
seated. And then their yells-they were loud
and long and devihsh.
know not how long we had remained in
this situation for we had no means Of ascer-
tanning the time-when heard a limb of the
tree cracking as if breaking down beneath the
weight Of some of US; and a moment after
wards shrek went through my ears like the
piercing of knife a light form went down
through the naked. branches, and fol- with g.
dull aud heavy sound upon the stiff snow.
"Oh, God! am gone!"
1t was the voice of Caroline Allen. The poor
: girl never spoke again. There was Il horrid
dizziness and confusion in my brain, and IspOke
not; and ! stirred not, for the whole at that
time was like an ugly, unreal dream. only
remembered that there were cries and shudder-
ings around me; perhaps joined theni-and
there were smothered groans and dreadful
howls underneath 1t was all over in mo-
ment. Poor Carolne! She was literally eat
en- alive. The wolves had Il frightfu feast, and
they became faviDg mad with the taste OF
blood
When came fully to myself-when the tru-
ly horrible dream went oil; and it lasted but a
moment struggled to shake off the arms OF
my sisters, which were cinging around me,
and could have cleared myself, should have
jumped down among the ravng animals. But
when second thought came over me, knew
that any attempt to rescue would be useless
As for poor Mason he was wild with horror
He had tried to follow Caroline when she !si
but he could not shake off tho grasp of his ter
rifcd sister. His youth, and weak constitution
aud frame, were unable to Withstand the dread
=, tul trial: and he stood close by my side, with
his hands frml y clenched and his teeth set
closely, gazing down on the dark wrangling
creatures below with the fixed stare of a man
4, lac. 1t was indeed a terrible scene. Around
was the thick cold highland below, the raw
enous wild beasts were tapping their bloody
Jaws and bowling for another victim.
, The morning broke at last; and our frghtful
enemies fled at the fist advance Of daylight,
!, like 80 many cowardy murderers. We waited
! until the sun had risen before we ventured to
, crawl down from our resting place We were
+ chilled hrough-cvery lnb was numb and
, cold with terror--and poor Mason was deleri-
Gus, and raved wildly about the things he had
witnessed. There were bloody stains around
the tree; and two or three long locks OF dark
hair ere tramped IN the snow.
We had gone but a little distance when we
wee met by our friends from the settlement,