Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-03-03

alarmed than their host while the rest OF the
company. unconscious of the cause of such ex-
traordinary agility, burst into shouts of laugh
| ter.
.The bell! the bell!' were the only words
| that the exhausted Ben could utter. "The
bell! ! can no more
Merciful heaven |" exclaimed Mabel, who
had sprung forward on hearing Metcalfs first
| outcry, aud who, scarce believing her own eyes
as they rested on the deathlike and agonized
countenance Of the hunter, was herself incapa-
BILE of any effort. '' Merciful heaven, send
| help-help oh help!'
The belli he repeated in now faltering
accents. Mabel, the bell! My arms fail me. y
q 'The bell!-what bell?" repeated the by
ISLANDERS, looking wonderingly at each other.
"Ha! the VOLTS bell!" cried Mabel sudden
ly, and joyously comprehending what had pre-
viously been like frightful dream to her
The VOLTS bell! One moment, Ben-a few
seconds only, and am here with it,
And rushing past him. and SO close to the
jagged fangs of that terrific beast that the red
tongue almost touched her shoulder, the girl
few to her fathers house, reached down the
bell which, on his return from the empty trap,
he had hung up beside his gun, and in another
minute presented herself with it at the door OF
the court house.
In the meanwhile the men had recovered
their surprise; and old Sutton, seeing how
matters stood, had entreated Ben to let him
take the wolf from him. But Ben would not
consent to relax the firm grasp with which he
held the beast, neither for his own sake, nor
for that of the old man. No sooner however
did Mabel appear with the bell, than taking it
| from her hand, he slipped the collar round the
neck of the raging slavering creature, and
buckled it not too tightly, but so as to prevent
it being slipped over the head. And now, what
was next to be done? How was the beast to
he let loose for was it not to be expected
that, in its present enfuriated state, it would
use its recovered freedom rather for vengeance
| than for flight, and, turning on his enemies
might occasion fearful damage? Were it not
indeed, moro prudent to kill it? Its struggles
become iercer and more desperate with Ben's
failing strength and the continual jingling ol
the bell disquieted the prisoners of the court
house still more seriously. Many of the young
men indeed came forward with ropes, and one
of them produced sling, in which he propoS
ed to hang the wolf, and compress his throat
until he should be stunned, when he might safe
| ly be left in the wood to make his escape Oh his
recovery But this seemed far too hazardous
al experiment; for in case the beast was injur
ed, all the fatigue and risk of the exploit would
have been in vain.
| Mabel had been standing with her hands
tightly pressed against her temples listening
to each proposal, as it was eagerly made and
ward and cried
Take him to the garden, Ben, to the bend
of the river; the bank has fallen, and if you
throw him in there, he must swim to the oppo
site shore"
"She's right-the girls right" rejoined old
Sutton.
And in moment Ben was on his way to the
spot The fence that divided him from the
garden was soon trodden down, and the weary
hunter stood at the edge of the cliff that over
hung the mountain torrent. Mabel had taker
hold of his arm, to prevent his going too fal
and falling over
"Now, Ben," she cried, holding him back
Now, let looser
Thank God!' murmured Ben, as he opened
bis arms aud let down his dark burden anC
heard the splashing of the waters as they CLOSED
over the beast
And now the men of the hamlet came in al
directions, bringing lanterns; and by their lgh
they soon discovered the black body of tn
wolf making its way through the foamin:
stream, and groaning as it swan. But whel
he reached the land, and shook himself, the bel
was heard jngling loud and clear. Terrified
with the sound, he sprang headlong from tn
bank, tore madly through the wood, where tn
peculiar longing galop of the creature and tn
wild leaps were distinctly heard, along, witt
the ringing of the bell-cling clang, cling clan!
--as the animal strove to escape from the in
tolerable din.
"Ha ha, ha ha!" shouted Ben at length
swinging his benumbed arms, and breaking tn
breathless silence with which his companions ha'
hitherto listened to the still retreating sound
:" He has it now--he has it now we have mad
sure work this time. Now Mr.. Metcalf ma
ape me if he wilt"
And where was Mr. Metcalf all this time
Heaven only knows; at least he was never see
: in Washatah again His leap from the windoy
was an indubitable fact witnessed by many
and he was traced some distance in the Woo
in the direction of Arkansas. His effects wer
left behind-eYen his hat-and was never writte
for; and Ben must certainly have been right
when he said that sit was evil conscienc
that had driven him out of the mountains.
And what became of his sweet little bridel
/ will leave the readers to imagine, only help
ing them to few facts, which may be as out
lines for them to fill up at their pleasure.
Mr. Metcalf had indeed taken fight bu
from tidings which subsequently, reached
Washitah, it was evident that the letter declar
ing him heir to his uncle's property must hav
been forgery, since that gentleman had bee
declared bankrupt some weeks previous t.
his nephew's arrival at the hamlet; and tn
supposed heir was something worse than
beggar, seeing he was over head and ears i
debt The wealthy farmers daughter was
tempting prize to a needy man, and Metcalf ha
naturally enough striven by all means to get ri
OF his dangerous rival. That he had been tn
cul prit in the matter of releasing the captiv