Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1849-05-03
LTTcHFlELD, c;pNs.,) THURSDAY, MAY 8. ls4s.

SNt NAA Nuu uC0OLOuS' AHC uC6 HAS
struck him with a roaring surge! His
hair flames crisply, and the flesh of his
body seems to be burning! The frantic
and painting horse attempts to shy. but
no, the tierccness Of the agony has turn
cd that riders arm and will toion. On I!
on! scorching through the sitting blaze !!
A few bounds more and the terrific sur
ses are past! The fresh air has met him !!
he tore the envelope from his face and
ieapt from the staggering horse upon the
charred hot ground. The blanket is torn
away from its north and the animal be-
gins to revive quscxly, though it shivers
and can hardly stand for the mortal ter
ror! He Is safe !! He has accomplished
an unparalleled feat! He hears family
above the roar and cracking flames a
howl Of triumph from his pursuers, who
Imagine they have driven him into the
fire, and that he is burnt, horse and all.
he makes a feeble attempt to answer
them de6sntly, but can scarcely hear his
own voice. Stunned and grasping to re-
cover the use of .'eir almost stified lungs,
he and his horse stand, side by side, up
on that blackened plain without moving
step for more than an hour. But the
perils Of the day are by no means passed.
Before him, as far as the eye could reach
there was only one charred, levelled and
smouldering waste, which had to be eros.
sed before he could reach water, for
which he and his horse were now almost
perishing. He started ON at last, taking
his course at random, Tor one seemed to
his bewildered sen IS rs good as another.
He did not ride az first, but mercifully
led his poor horse, until the heat of the
ground and the still smoulderlng stubs Of
grass became insufferable to his feet, and
then he turned to mount. He now for
the FIRST time, looked at the animal care
fully, and to his horror. saw that every
hair upon its body was gone, and moth
ing but the bare skin left, and that so
badly scorched in places, that it came off
to the slightest touch. This was dread.
full enough, wate.. water! water! he
must have or they both would perish.
lie sprang into the saddle and urged the
wretched creature along with the last en-
ergies Of his sinking life. In an hour he
had begun to grow dizzy, and the black
ened earth SWAN rounl and round, and
tossed him to and fro! Now a strange
noise was about him, and as the lifting
waves of the earth would almost seem
to leap up into his face, he would catch
glmpses Of huge wolves careering on
them, who would turn up their fiery eyes
to his, and howl at him with red hot open
mouths and lolling l>agucs! So
Suddenly his horse rushed down q
eep bank, and there wa; q eat splash
ing. Water! blessed God, water! He
tumbled from the saddle into the cold,
delicious fluid. In an instant his senses
had returned, and he saw himself sur
rounde by thirty or for y p a:rie wolves,
some of which were swimming in the wa
ter after him, while others sat upon the
bank of the small lake as he now discov-
eed II to be, bowling tlorcely at him. He
struck those nearest with his gun barrel,
and beat them off, while he had time to
draw his knife. One Of them had seized
his horse, who, willie i. vas endeavoring
to pull him down, stood still and drank
the long eager draughts. Henrie spl;'
the VOLTS head w'.h his knife, and soon
sent the rest back out Of the water veil
ing with their woun Is. But those pom
the bank only howler the louder, and
they were answered near at hand and
from afar by hundreds of Others, who
were swiftly gathering at the we'll known
call Of the banquet. He now remember
ed that these wary and infe. nal butes al
ways collect in large numbers, to follow
in she wake of a prairie FIRE, to tear the
carcases Of those animals that are killed,
or band together to chase and drag down
the poor horse. The became very saw
age, and few creatures which have esca-
ped from the hungry flames, can escape
their more ravenous jaws. The creature,
at other times, is contemplate for its
but he shuddered when he
called to mind the dreadful stories he had
heard Of their deadly fierceness at such
times as this. My GodY he moaned
aloud, wasn't i Sad enough for me to
pass that hell of flames back yonder!'
de looked at his horse; the animal was
now. too. refreshed and began to be con-
scious Of the new danger rs it gazed
around with starting eye-balls upon the
eager and swiftly gathering crowd that
,owled along the shore. He snortcd in
alright and lifted his head Witha wildly
mourning neigh. that seemed to poor
Dan tie most piteous sound that ever
rung upon his ears. III
There was some comfort though-the
horse had life enoagh left in him 70 make
one more run for safety. He mounted,
and, after having fred his rifle. with de-
| besase aim. into the thickest of them, he
chared right through at full speed. They
lsapsd his feet, and attempted to sieze
his horses legs; bat the animal was too
mortally frightened for them to impede
his way for an instant. Through he
"a -