Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-08-13

EROM THE GERMAN OF GEORGE DOkING
WE suddenly received from home the
intelligence that my father had been
taken seriously i'll, and had expressed
the wish that we should return. The
necessity was so urgent, that delay was
not to be thought of, and we started the
very same hour. It was a sad Journey
we had to make. A few days before it
hadthawed and had then again frozen
hard now the snow fell Ia thick fakes
and the weather was picrcingly cold.
My anxiety about my father left me no
rest, and Axinia longed earnestly to be
at home and beside the sick bed. We
determined to travel the night through;
and we were better enabled to do this,
As towards evening", it having ceased to
snow, we expected a moonlight night,
and our driver, ROsks, was we'll ac-
Guaintcd with the road. We were we'll
furnished with furs, and also provisions
for sur Journey. Before the night
came on We had reached the wide spread
Jug forest which separated us from our
natieeSiIome, and which stretches away
in the distance toward 14itlunia, there
to unite itself with the boundless forests
of that country. The road we travelled
was wide enough to receive, without
hiadrance, the complete light OF the fall
moon but the frequent rough places
in It, which had been caused by the
sharp frost, following immediately upon
the thaw, checked our progress and
caused our horses the greatest cxertion.
4 perfect stiffness reigned around us,
Which gas broken only by the trotting
of the horses, aad the heavy breathing
of the lady's maid, an old French wo-
man. who had fallen asleep. Ny
thoughts were by the bed of my sick
father, and neither Axinia nor myself
felt inclined to talk. 1t was just an
hour before midnight, and nothing par
ticular had happened on our lonely
way, when suddenly the horses which
drew our sleigh began to show an uscual
uneasiness they snortcd and chafed,
and without being urged hy the whip,
they galloped faster and faster. They
and which could hc induced To go out
of their usual speed only by some very
extraordinary cause. They appeared
anxious and fearful, and often turned
their heads round to look back, and
then it seemed as if some unknow n
power impellcd them to renewed exer-
iion FROM these sudden dashings for
ward their pace soon became so wild and
irregular that Rosko was obliged to use
some restraint to this they gave way,
it is true, but not without resistance and
with an appearance of the greatest ter
ror. Axinia was too deeply engaged in
her own thoughts and feelings to pay
any attention to the altered behavior Of
fl1c animals; but 1, being used to them
and their habits, felt agitated, and pre-
pared, as it were, for some strange and
wonderful occurrence !; and old ROsko
also appeared now to be seized with
certain uneasy feeling. He looked
back several times quickly, and seemed
to be listening then he gave the horses
the reins, so that they were free to so
at their own speed, and off they set at
full gallop. 1 was so seated in the
sleigh that by just turning my head my
mouth was close to our drivers ear.
"What is the matter, Rosko p
whispered l so gently to him that it was
impossible for Axinia to catch what L
said. "You seem to be alarmed, as if
the uneasiness of the horses had COM
municated itself to you"
The old man considered for moment,
and then answered me, in the same low
tone:
81 fear the wolves are upon our
track the cold has driven them out of
the woods, and hunger makes them fol
low US, and, if the speed of the horses
does not save us, we are lost"
] have since led the life of a soldier,
and have behold death in its most fear
full forms, but never in thick of the bat
ties roar, nor in front of a flaming bat
terry, did l ever feel the terror and hor-
ror 1 felt at this moment. My first
thought was my sister: I saw, in i'm
agination, her delicate, lovely form torn
by the. teeth of the monsters; saw
them appeasc their hunger with san
culinary delight l had often heard
that these creatures pursued their prey
With an pbstinacy and speed which