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


? ing up in enormous numbers, and I kne,
that they would be up with US in min
ute or two. I called after him to com
, back, but his work was already done
with two cuts of the whip he had set tn
horses off again in full gallop, and hat
gat back again just as two of the savag
beasts made- a spring towards the hut
, With two blows of the-h -hntt-end of tb
gRn, he. struck them both down, ant
then was by my side again and just a
tie foremost of the pack reached th'
hat and would have pressed, we rushed
to the stroug oaken door, and bolted i
with the iron bolt which, providentially
we found still there.
| ! should in vain endeavor to describe
the feelings'I experienced at that mo
ment. Many years have passed away
since that time; 1 have gone through
much that was calculated to try the
soul but never had I feelings equal to
these. The purest joy at the deliver
ance of my sister took possession of me
and with it the feeling that I had sinned
against the greatness and goodness o.
the Almighty. 1 felt the utmost con.
triton 1 dared not speak to Axinia
| whose confidence in heaven had never
for one moment forsaken her, and who
at this moment, and with steady voice,
was Offering thanks for mcrciful deliver
ance. The snuffing and rattling of the
/ wolves at the door reused me from the
srain of thought into which I had fallen.
i Rosko had the presence of mind, when
he ran back to set the horses off, and
thereby give them chance to save them
! selves, to snatch the lantern from the
sleigh and bring it with him into the
hut. We now be lan to examine the in
| terror, to see whether we were in safety /:
and as we did SO, we heard the low
growing of the wolves which continued
jumping against the door, and Chamber
ing up against the windows; but fortu-
| nately the windows were fastened with
very strong shutters. Mud-walls sur
rounded US, and bank of earth was
built against one side; little half rot
! ION straw lay in q corner, and by the
| side of it lay an invaluable treasure, a
heap of ire wood sufficient, in all prob
ability, to save us, during four and
twenty hours, from the severity of the
frost The old servant lost not mo-
ment in making use of the discovery. A
most grateful fire soon famed in the
middle of the room the smoke from
which went upwards, and found an
outlet at one of those openings, in the
roof which usually form the chimney in
these hunters huts I now breathed
more freely, and I could look more
calmly upon my sister, who had sat down
quietly upon the earthen bank, and was
engaged in endeavoring to restore the
faibting lady's maid, whom Rosko had
placed there when he carried her in.
With the help of some spirits from Ros-
kos flask, she at last succeeded and we
all gathered round the fire, the benef
cial effects of which soon gave us new
life; and whilst we listened to the saw
age growing of our fearful enemies out
side, we congratulated ourselves upon
having escaped from them. The French
woman, now that the paralysing effect
of tho fear had left her, began to de-
scribe, with astonishing volubility, all
she had suffered, and how she had ex-
pected every moment to see one of the
monsters spring into the sleigh and swal-
IL W us all up. l sat holding Axiuia' S
hand in mine; an expression of unspeak
able joy might be seen in the faces of us
both. Old Rosko alone appeared un.
moved at the favor which fate had
shown us; he sat looking with gloomy
thoughtfulness into the rising flames; his
brow was knit, and from time to time ne
shook his head. Suddenly we now heard,
resounding from a distance, SO loud and
heart piercing cry of pain, that we
looked at each other in astonisEment,
and Axinia crept close to me, as if
for safety. had never heard sound
like it before; it could be the tones of
no human being that pierced the air
with so much strength, and knew of
no animal of which it resembled. 1t
soon ceased but the piteous complaint,
the hoart piercing distress of that tone,
continued to sound in our ears, Rosko
had gone uneasily towards the door,
and was looking through crack in it.
1t had now became stiller without, and
it appeared to me that the growing and
following of the wolves no longer sound
ed so directly in our neighborhood.-
Old Rosko came back from the door,
and he must have seen in the expression
of my face an interrogation as to the
shocking unnatural tones we have heard.
"Poor Alexandra all is over with
him / The young beast was full of cour-
age and fire, and no doubt fought his
blood thirsty enemies bravely with his
hoofs but he was obliged to give way;
the number was too great for him.
Yes sir" continued he, "that dreadful
cry announced to us the death of your
fayorite horse. have heard this tone.