The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-06-10

length lie had n hatchet, which he always
carried on these occasions to chop frozen fishi
he felt for it and grasped it in his hand, but
forbure TO Use it, for the closer The wolves
| kept ut The back of the sledge, the less were
they seen by the horse. Every minute
however, one ofthem broke ont of the truck
! in the attempt to pass and although they i'll
stantly lost footing in the snow, yet the un-
blinkeretl eyes of tho Little animal had caught
sight Of the dreaded foe s. plunge forward
made Mart turn his eyes with TuSely 10 SEQ
that it kept straight in the narrow track.
"One ofthe wolves was more ihan usually
! huge and long limbed, and more tlan once II
| had conirved, in spite Of The deep snow, 10
advance nearer abrest of the slcdge than any
Of IFS companions. Upon this grim creature
Mart more especially kept his witch. and
caught the green light which played from its
eveballs 1t turned off aguin-the snow laid
| feeter for spOce--the wolf kept lis footing
it gained-ior their pace is enormous-,Lo
! little horses eye glared round at it. Mart
Withdrew his hand with the animals perspi"
ration the wolfwns just beyond arms reach
! but he kept his hatchet in readiness. The
horse was now in desperate gallop and tho
wolf just nbren si-it suddenly turned sharp
towards it-now was Mart's time. lie dealt
a tremendous blow-the wolf avoided it, but
stumbled in the snow, and in few moments
was yards behind.
''The distance from home was now quick
! ly shortening beneath the horses hootS, which
continued to carry The sledge at full gnllop
! till the fear of an overturn became Il source
of fresh anxiety. Mart was quite awnre by
this time that these were no common lazy
wolves he had TO deal with, but sharp set, de-
Iteriiined brutes, TO whom man or bt asst would
| be alike welcome. These were not The ami
mails 10 be deferred by the sight Of n mans
dwelling, rs is usually the case, and there was
an ugly verst of wide. open space between tho
outskirts of the forest and his house which
| he looked TO with real apprehension,
'They were now Mt the very edge OF the
wood--lhe rond became opcner-the wolves
guiued on every side--the horse bounded fl-
riousy forward. caught the sIcdge against tho
stump ola tree--it overurned-was swept
away nj tremendous pacC-and Mart was
left alone in the snow. In n moment heav-
V claw slit the throat and down the front of
his sheepskin il was well Amos wrappers
Law so thick beneath. lie throw oifthe brute
and rose-his hntchet had been jerked ou1
of his hand in the fall ; he cast n desperate
glance around but saw it not Two of tho
wolves were close to the deieHceless man,
and the two others, deserving the animal, were
| bounding back to him. Mart faced tie fore
most, he could do no more, ard i'll an iR-
slant was surrounded.
"IIere we must leave him, however cruel
!
were as usual expecting him hOme-ior
Mart lwns ue. Ammo was sitting beneath
the pinewood candle at the ssrinning wheel,
! Lislo had risen from hers and gone into the
smaller chamber especially devoted 10 her.
Old Karria Pois was lying before tile siovo
fast asleep. Off sudden the dog prcked mp
his ears, listened, rose; ran 10 the door and
whned; then returned to Ammo, wagged his
tail ran hack, and whining again scratched
ut the door. Karria Pois as usually gave
signal of Mari's appronch though not in so
urgent way, and Ammo opened the door eX,
pccting TO see her husband. The dog dash.
ed furously out, hut no sign of Mart appear-
ed. The young wife went out In the pierc.
| ing air--saw and heard nothing and was
slowly turning in, when sound caught her
cart was the sound Of hoofS striking full
and sharp upon the ground. So had Mart
never approached before. But there was no
time for WONDER for the next moment tho
horse galloped mp TO the door s stopped. Ans
no saw instantly that something had hnpIen.
ed the animal was dripping with foam aud
trembling all over-thc sledge was reversed.
and above all Mart was not there.
"Anno was but the girl st;she called quick
TO her grandtnother-the old woman did nol
answer-she flew into the inner room; Lislo
was standing motioness with her face turn.
ed from the door. There was no light, save
from the little showed mp window; hut Ammo
saw enough to know that she stood in prnYa
err. 'O' Jummdw (God) said the poor girl
to herself, hear herr and leaving her undis.
turbed she ran again out of the house, gays
one trembling look Mt the horse, and then, ali
trembling herself began to retrace the jagged
track in which it had come.
1--WE must now return to Mart, whom va
have left III iiighful position. He knew
what it was 20 put forth his strength in gamea
s. wrestling matches, & it was such ns,shouls
der to shoulder, and muscle TO muscle, few
could withstand. But il was nothing n,
gainst the heavy weght--the vice like teeth
the rending grasp that held him down Oh
every side For n few seconds the despera
ate violence ola man to whom life is sweet,
and such death most horrible, shook off tbs
pitiIess ASSISTANTS, hut his own blood hal
dyed The snow, and the sight of it seemed 10
tnrn ferocity into fury. The blood hounda
closed again upon hin,-they pulled hini
down.
''People shy there is no time to think II;
sudden dangers;-they have never knowi
one. There are more thoughts struck irop,
the mind in one moments collision with SUD.
den and desperate peril than in days of fenr-
less security. The sweets this eurlh--the
home that lay so near-the mysteries ofhcay.
en-, swept over poor Murl's mind; ay, even
particulars found time 20 intrude. He thought
how Ammo and I.slo would watch through.
II the night-how his mangled remains woud
, tell all in the morning-Anno's despairz--Lq
village lament, he thought of all this, an,i
, more, he knew himself in the jaws Of hungry
, wolves! Then those foul lurid eyes glared
, over him; the tightening of the throat follow,
/ ell and thinking was over. Still he struggl.
ed 10 release his arms; the grasp on his throat