Polynesian., 1857-01-31
Ole l)olnuesiau.
A NIGHT OF TERROR,
FROM THE GERMAN OF GEoRe DoRxe

Idu ApTeSSeO q WISH lldt we SnOulu return. ne
necessity was so urgent that delay was not 10 be
thought of, and we started the very same hour 1t
was sad Journey we had to make. A few davs
before, 1t had thawed, and had then again frozen
hard; now the snow fell in thick flakes, and the
weather was piercIngly cold. My anxiety about
my father left me rest, and Axinia longed earn
estly to be at home and beside the sick bed We
determined to travel the night through; and we
were the better enabled to do this, as towards eve
ming, it having ceased to snow, we expected
moonlight night, and our driver, Rosko, was well
acquainted with the road. We were well furnish
cd with furs, and also with provisions for our Jour
ney. Before the night came on, we had reached
the wide-spreading forest which separated us from
our native home, and which stretches away in the
distance towards Lithuana, there to unite itself
with the boundess forests of thar country The
road we travelled was wide enough to receive
without hindranCe the complete light of the full
moon; but the frequent rough places in it which
had been caused by the sharp frost following i'm
medately upon the thaw, checked our progress and
cost our horses the greatest exprton. \ perfect
stiffness regned around us. which was broken only
by the trottng of the horses and the heavy breath
ing of the lady 's-maid, an old French woman, who
had fallen asleep. My thoughts were by the bed
of nv sick father. and neither AXInia nor mvself
| felt inclined to talk. 1t was lust an hour before
midnight, and nothing particular had happened on
our lonely way, when suddenly the horses which
|
uneasincss; they snored and chafed and without
being urged by the whip they gallopcd faster and
faster. They were horses we had had for several
years, and which could be induced to 90 out Of
their usual speed only by some very extraordinary
cause They appeared anXOas and fearful, and
often turned their heads round to look back and
/ then It always seemed as If some unknown power
impelled them to renewed CXerlIon. From these
sudden dashlngs forward their pace soon became
so wild and irregular that Rosko was obliged 10
use some restraint; to this they gave way, it is
true, but not without resstance, and with an APP
pearance of the greatest terror. Axinia was too
deeply engaged in her own thoughts and feelings
to pay any attention to the altered behavior Of the
animals, but ], being used to them and their hab-
lis, felt agltated, and prepared 1t were for some
strange and wonderful occurrence and old Rosko
also appeared now to be seized with a certain un-
easy feeling. He looked back several times quick
" and seemed To be listening; then he gave the
horses the reins, 50 that they were free to 90 at
their own speed, and off they sat at full gallop
was so seated IN the sleigh that by just turning ny
head my mouth close to our drivers ear.
''What Is the matter, RoskO:' whispered l. so
gently to him that it impossible for Axinia TO
catch what | sliG. lyon seem to be alarmed, and
as If the uneasiness of the horses had communcat-
ed itself to YOU"
The old man considered for a moment, and then
answered me in the same low tone, " fear the
wolves are upon our track; the cold has driven
them out of the woods. and hunger makes them
follow us; and if the speed of the horses does not
siYe us we are lost"
| have since then led the life of a soldier, and
have beheld death IN its most fearful forms but
never in the thick of the battles roar nor in front
of flaming battery, did | ever feel the terror and
horror felt at this moment. My first thought was
my sister. saw in imagination her delicate, love /
Iy form torn by the teeth of the monsters; l saw
Al Il
light. | had often heard that these creatures pur
sued their prey with an ObstInacy and speed which
made it impossible to escape from them. II our
horses could hold ont, we might be saved, but ]
tel; sure that their strength would be exhausted
before that o. our pursuers and that we should fall
sacrifice to them. wore hunting knife by my
side, and had also with me a rife and pair OF
pistols; but my provision of powder and ball was
small, and could serve only to bring down some
few of these savage animals which knew were
accustomed to 90 out upon their nightly eXpedI-
tions in tiOcks of several hundreds together. In
the meantime old Rosko drove the horses onward
with unceasing speed but II was not necessary to
urge them much, for the acute instinct of the ter
riied beasts understood the approaching danger
better than ! felt an unceasing inclination to /
look back into the distance behind us, in order 10
llsten through the stiffness of the night, for
sound that might confirm the horror of our fate.
RoskO saw and heard palmer than l. They
are coming-they are cOmIngn" whispered he sud /.
denly. don't you hear the rushing and painting:
They look like dark shadow they come up ou
of the valley. 1t is pack of more than hunt
dred.''
now saw what Rosko's quicker sight had al
ready seen. With a strange gliding motion an
enormous black mass came nearer and nearer; 1t
passed quickly over the snow that one could not
exactly distinguish the manner of its motion, and
it became evident that it would very soon overtake
our horses the strength of which was beginning TO
give way. Awful, horrible sounds broke through
the stiffness of the night. They seemed to be sent
forth from the depth of the chest, and resembled
sometimes grUnting noise and sometimes tine pain
full hollow, but yet partly repressed yes of one IN
agony. Axinia still suspected nothing; nothing
could arouse her from the thoughts of home which
engaged her so deeply. | was not able, however,
much longer To leave her in that happy unconscious
ness of the danger which threatened us. ] could
already distinguish the separate groups OF the eager
monsters: already several had burst forward out of
the mass md within shot of our sleigh ] raised
my gun, cooked it, and aimed at the foremost OF |
the creatures. "Stoop down. cried to AXinIa, /
who had started up If frightened out of a dream.
She looked at me inquiringly but 1t was evident
from INV actions that this no time for queS- !
tions She instantly bent down her head and
shoulders my gun went off, and the foremost and
largest of the ANIMALS fell to the earth. My shot
had walked the lady 's-moid, and she began to
scream thinking we were attacked by robbers.
1T Is only the wulves'' said Rosko, with aston
ishinq coulnrss. I'VE are rid of one. but hun
dred others will be our faithful companions un-
TIL He said no more, for he did not wish the
females to hear the worst. In the meantime the
horses startled by the report of the gun, darted
forward with renewed vigor, whilst the wolves
made stop to gather round the dead body OF their
companion.
lit will not last long" murmured Rosko to him
self; " | know them they will soon be close be-