Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-05-25

wood candle at the spinning wheel. Liso had
risen from hers and gone into the smaller chamber,
especially devoted to her. Old Karria Pois was ly-
ing before the stove fast asleep. Ofa sudden the
dog pricked his ears, listened, rose-ran to the
door and whined- then, returning to Ammo, wag-
ged his tail, ran back, and whining again, scratch
ed at the door. Karra Pois usually gave signal
of Mart's approach, though not in so urgent way,
and Ammo opened the door expecting to see her
husband The dog dashed furiously out, but nc
sign of Mart appeared. The young wife went
out into the piercing air-saw and heard nothing,
and was slowly turning in, when a 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 the horse gallopped
up to the door and stopped. Ammo saw instantly
that something had happened animal was
dripping with foam and trembling all over-the
sledge was reversed, and, above all, Mart was not
there.
"Anno was but the girl still she called quick
to her grandmother-the old woman did not an
swer-she flew into the inner room; Lso was
standing motionless with her face turned from the
door. There was no light save from the little
showed up window; but Ammo saw enough to
know that she stood in prayer. 'Oh! Jlmnsalp
(God) said the poor girl to herself, 'hear her! and
leaving her undisturbed, she ran again out of the
house, gave one look at the trembling horse, and
then, all trembling herself, began to retrace the
Jagged track in which it had come.
1--WE must now return to Mart, whom we have
left in a frightful position. He knew what twas
to put forth his strength in games and wrestling
matches, and it was such as, shoulder, to shoul-
der, and muscle to muscle, few could withstand.
But it was as nothing now against the heavy
weight-the vice-like teeth-the rending grasp
that held him down on every side. For few
seconds the desperate violence of man TO whom
life is sweet, and such death most horrible, shook
off the pitess assaants; but his own blood had
dyed the snow. and the sight of it seemed to turn
ferQcty into fury. The blood hounds closed again
upon him-they pulled him down!
'sPeople say there is no time to think in sudden
dangers they have never known one. There
are more thoughts struck from the mind in one
moments collision with sudden and desperate
peril than in days of fearless security. The
sweets of this earth--the home that lay so near
the mystery of Heaven, swept over poor Mart's
mind day. even particulars found time to intrude.
He thought how Ammo and Liso would watch
throagh the night-how his mangled remains
woulI tell all in the morning--Anno's despair
the yillare lament he thought of all this, and
more. and knew hi.uself in the jaws Of hungry
wolves, Then those foul lurid eyes glared over
him; the lightning of the throat followed, and
thinking was over. Still he struggled to release
his arms-the grasp on the throat was sufiocattng
him.-his senses reeled-When on sudden-dash
came another animal hard breathing along; threw
itself into the midst with one sharp howl, and tas-
tened upon the chief assailant. The wolves re-
laxed their fury for an instant; Mart reeled gid
div to his feet, and recognized his brave dog
For a second he stood stunned and bewlldered !;
when ne saw one wolf retreating. and all three
attacking the dauntless karria Pois lie turned
to help him. and bright object caught his eye;
it was his hatchet lying on the snow within arms
length of his last struggle. Mart snatched it up,
and was now himself again. Blood was dripping
from him, bu; his limbs were uninjured, and Ixri-
Gus were the strokes he dealt.
ssOue wolf soon lay dead at his feet the other
cowed, and retreated, spillng its blood as it went,
and held of, skulking round and now Mart poured
his whole fury on the great monster, which held
Karria Pois ia as sitting grasp as he had done
his master. 1t was no easy task to release the
dog. The hatchet rung on the VOLTS skull,
ratified on his ribs, and laid bare the gaunt back
bone; but the dogs own body interrupted any
mortal wound, and the wolf seemed to feel no
other Poor Karria Pois's case was desperate /;
his legs were all drawn together, protecting the
very parts he sought to wound, when suddenly he
stretched himself out with some fresh agony, and
The Ratchet was buried deep in the VOLTS throat.
Many more fierce strokes were needed before life
was extinct and, as Mart rose,a hand on his shoul
der startled nm, and his wife fell into his BOSOM"