The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-02-18


will be bold enough to try the roof again
otnight; but by daylight the flames do
not make SO powerful an impression on
them. We must summon all our cour
age and all our strength for what may
then happen, and prepare to defend the
women and our own lives to the last
moment. But it will be of no use,'
added be, in a tone growing fainter and
fainter" of no use at all |"
had placed my whole confidence on
the return of day I had already i'm
agined that we were safe at home in the
castle of my father; but now all my
hopes were destroyed-now, for the first
time, our destruction appeared to me to
be certain-and again all the horrors of
despair took possession of me. did not
dare 60 near Axinia, lest she should
guess, from the disturbed state I was in,
what was the truth as to our fate; wish
ed it to be kept from her as long as pos
sible, that she might continue to enjoy
the feeling that she was safe until the
danger was really near. The hours pass
ed anxiously and painfully by. Axinia
had fallen asleep, and lay reposing like
an angel of peace-like child who
knows nothing of the dangers which sur
round it. The lady's maid, too, ex-
hausted by her appreheusions and her
exertions had fallen into kind of dis
turbed slumber or 'stupor, from which
she every now and then awoke in af-
fright, raised herselfup and started va
cantly at the hole in the roof, and then
sank down again seemingly insensible.
I looked at Axinia, and as I saw her
smile in her sleep, it pierced me to the
heart; 1 felt oppressed within me, as if
heavy load lay on my breast from
which I could not get free. In the
meantime, old Rosko silently went on
keeping up the fire, and appeared to be
thinking seriously about our position,
although he did not communicate his
thoughts to us. He was right in what
he had said about the wolves; not one
of them appeared again during the night
at the opening of the roof; but their
scratching and scraping, and pushing
against the door, their low growing,
and running backwards and forwards
round the hut, continued the whole
time.
It is not surprising that even at this
length of time should remember accu-
rately every particular of what we then
suffered; the dangers of that moment
were such as would make impression up
on whole lifetime, however long it
might be. Before Rosko told me what
we had most to dread, 1 had longed for
daylight to return; but now could have
wished that night might be without an
end. But how senseless was such
wish, for what should we have gained
by it ! Instead of being torn to pieces
by the wolves, we should have been fro
zen to death II now felt without hope,
and psrft city desolate.
The stars becsme paler, the twilight
appeared above US. the flames of the fire
became less bright, and the day broke
Axima slept on: the frightful bowling
of the wolves, the increased energy
which was evident in their movements
around our place of refuge, did not
wake her; but at one time saw that her
lips moved, and that she was speaking,
aud drew nearer to understand what
she said.
"Fear nothing, Cassimer, "said she
softly, as if in sweet dream "God is
watching over us; deliverer is igh r.
1 cannot describe the effect which these
words had. on me, and how they Instant
ly filed me again with hope and faith. I
suddenly felt myself Influenced by
supernatural power. felt quite calm
ly with regard to any future danger, and
seizing the hand of the astonished Ros-
ko, exclaimed, in a cheering tone:
Courage, faithful Rosko We are
too good to serve as food for wolves; q
deliverer is near"
And he was near. He appeared in
the time of our greatest need, when the
fire, now grown pale under the light of
day, no longer scared our hungry pur-
suers, which. now clambered upon the
roof in such numbers that it threatened |
every moment to fall in upon us; and
as we looked up, we beheld twenty pair
of savage jaws wide open, thirsting for
our blood, and longing eagerly to de-
your US. Axinia had not awakened she
slept as soundly as if convinced that the
angel of God was watching over her
My whole being appeared now to have
resolved into faith in our deliverance.
1 looked no longer at the savage growl-
ing forms above; I looked into the pure
and innocent face of my sister. She
smiled and moved slightly, and awoke
crying,
"He comes we are saved !"
A. the moment we heard the report
of fifty shots in the forest; a loud holloo
and the barking of dogs resounded
through the air and the trampling of
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