Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1849-07-19
THURSDAY MORNING, JULY 10, ls49.

course above me, turned 1t hay. ana glarsa
mon me- with eyes that seemsd lirhtsa As
With IRE from the bottonaless PIT. MY gun.
i German yager, was ct ny check ID 4.
moment and my finger vas Oh the trigger.
For the frst time she missed frel The
click seemed only % increase the holaness
and rage of the pack.
/ Thought had seen something of The
Transforming power Of hunger before. when
on the ocean had witnessed tie allowabciisg
out Of the last poor pittance Of bread u thee
half starvingAhip's company, and rtlena that
had been as brothers, chang to caesa aha
hungryhyenas, ready ID destroy ffiend for
Offering 70 pick up eEumb, the Fightto
which WAS doubted. But that was alnsast
Christianity compared with the anxious rare
that seemed in direflsl commoiion atbat NE
Ny guns second trial proved more fortp-
nate, and my daring yaEzster tuln blssl down
with two bullets crashed through Lis 81 yaIll
The scent Of the blood was ID the Ill, AID
in moment the fallen hero was tue object
of Contention to a score Of his fellows. De
termintd to profit by this temporary diver
sion 10 my favor, turned and was in the
act Of stepping upon the trunk Of q tree that
lodged at an angle, which would permit thy
ascent, when from its top came piercing
scream that sent the blood curdlinE TO ny
heart, and stopped for an instant the canhi-
bal wolves from their banquet. Hastily
my gun was reloaded, without patching, and
three bullets went whizzing towards tile two
eyeballs of FIRE amidst the branches There
was stifed growl, and then heavy fallbr
. kn. K IL. LA !
fallen Or jumped from his position I III.
SANITY reloaded, and kept my place upbn
the trunk Of that half prostratetree, through
the hours of that dreary night, ever ahd
anon, as some daring intruder, fresh TO-
cruit I'd theinferual rack, came near, snuffhg
for my life, sending leaden messenger
through bis skull and giving his companichs
a lunch Of their own flesh ard blood
Never before did sentinel keep a sharper
Or more anxious watch--never to fearful
wretch did night seem longer or thewinged
hours move SO dull / thought of Byroa's
wolves in Mazeppa: ai.
.By nighlI heard them IN the track, jsi
Their troops came hard apon our back,
With their long galiop which can lire I
Thehounds deep hate the Hunters ftT HEX
Where e'ef wefew they followed on.
NorEleft US with the morning sun; =
Behind We saw them scarce rood
At day .treak winding through tie wood, II
si AndIthroughthe night had heard ihcirfeei, a
Their stcalinsFruslling step repeat,
And ] thought Of lis terrific description
ID bis siege Of Corinth.n E III
n Aad hesaw The lean dogs benesfhshe val II
Hold over the deadtheif carnival, n
Gorginy and growing DER carcass and limb
They wefe too1husy tob bark al him si
From Tartar's skull they had stripped The 1esh
AS We pedl the fg when the fruit Is fresh;
And therwhie tusks craanched oerthe white skull
AS il slipped thre their jaws when their edge grew
AS they iazily nnubblcd the ibencs Of the dead,
When they scarce could rise from the spot where
Sd wen haa they BROKEN lingering fast.
With ih5se who bad fallen for that nights rspaSi"
But the morning came at length; ny
greedy foes betook themselves to a more se-
spectful distance, and without troubling my
self about the fato Of the panther, left lily
unquiet couch. Whenever my shots had
told, there lay the bones Of the Slaughtered
enemy, not shfed of them or sinew, nerve
or muscle, left upon them, hpled ind pol
ishcd white with the tapping tongues Of The
rayenous pack shudderto think of The
fate that would have been mine, had it not
been for my trnsty wager. and FASTENED frpia
the spot, where had endured Id a few hours
the horrors Of 4 lifetime, Tie next piSltI
was in Christendorn. M