The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-06-18
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En Adynnacc., !. s5 sssg8's

Kcnncboc, that like q iewelcd zone
swept between the mighty forests on
its banks. And yet all was STILL
The cold seemed to have frozen
trees, and everything; living that
moved. Even the ringing Of my
skates ON the ice echoed back from
the NIoccasin Hill with startling
clearness, and the cracklc Of the ice
as / passed ever it in my course,
seemed to follow the tide of the river
with lightning speed.
had gone up the river nearly two
miles, when coming to small stream
which cmptiesin.o the larger, 1 turn.
cd to explore its course. Fir and
hcmlock Of q century's growth met
overhead, and formed an archway ra-
diant with frost work. Allw dark
within, but | was young and fearless,
and as | pecred into an unbrokcn
forest that reared itselfon the bor-
ders Of the stream, laughed with
very joyousness; my wild hurra rang
through the silent woods, and | stood
listening to the echo that reyerbera.
ted again and again, until all was
husied. thought how often the
Indian hunter had concealed himself
behind those very .trccs-how, often
his arrow had pierced tho deer BY
this very stream, and his wild hallo.
.had here rang for his victory. And
then, turning from fancysto reality,
l watched a couple of whits owls.
that sat in their hooded state, With
rnffian pantaletts andsslong eas ,ss as,
debating in silent conclaye thea!iairs
of their own frozen realm, and won;
dering if they sfor all their feathers:
were a cold,' when a sharp sound;
arose-it seemed to me MS though iti
came from beneath thesice; it sound.
ed low and treIa,ilous at first, mill its
ended III one wild yell. e was ap-
pallcd. Neyerbefore Lad such a d
noise met my ears. 5ts
,l!ousht i moro ;l,nn ts!-zz9
,i'oTee, nnd 07;i snch an unhyoken
ude, ii .ae.,rf.ts as iEa fiena had
y ~ tstls an iaferllsl tram,
:. Il, sHsa;9 : e;-s':ss ~ = S.
ofsomc aniiaa!, aa .}A{G iTTI5Iui li.s;.s:i sl:
back 10 my forehead with bound
that made my skin burn aud I felt
relieved that | had TO conse.d with
things earthly, and not Of spiritual
natnrc--ny energies returned, and /
looked around me for some means of
escape. The moon shone through
the opening at the mouth of the creek
by which l had entered the forest,
and considering this the best means
of escape, I dartcd towards it like an
arrow. Twas hardly hundred
yards distant, and the swallow could
not excel my desperate fight; yet, as
| turned my head to the shore, Z
could sec two dark objects Gashing
through the undcrbrush at q pace
nearly double in speed to my own
BY this great speed, and the short
yclIs which they occasionally gave, /
knew at once that these were the
much dreaded grey wolf.
L had never met with these ami
mails, but from the description given
Of them had but little pleasure in
making their acquaintance. Their
untamcahlo ticrccncss, and the untir-
ing strength which seems, to be part
Of their nature, rendered them objects
of dread to every bcnighted traveller.
with their long ga!sop, which can ,irn,
The dcer-hound's hate, the hunters fire.
they pursued their prcy--,nevcr
straying from the track Of their VIC
tim--.and as the weary hunter thinks
he has at last outstrippcd them, he
finds that they but waited for tie
evening to seize their prey, and falls
prize to the tirclcss animals.
The bushes that skirted the shore
flew pastwi,h the velocity oflightning
as | passed on in my endcavor to
pass the opening. The outlet was
nearly gained; one second more and
| would be comparatively safe, when
my pu.sucrs appeared on the bank
directly above mc, which here rose to
the height of ten feet. There was
no time for thought, so bent my
head and dashed madly forward. -
The wolves sprang, but miscalculat
ing my speed sprang behind, while
their intended prey glidcd out upon
the river.
Nature turned me homoward. -.
The light flakes of snow spun from
tho iron of my skates, and was
some distance from the pursuers
when their fierce howl told me I was
still their fugitive. / did not look
| back, | did not feel afraid. sorry, O,