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


I have since then led the life of sol
dier; and have beheld death in its mos
fearful forms; but never in the thick O
the battles roar nor in front of a flaming
battery, did ever feel the terror fel
at this moment My first thought wa
my sister. 1 saw, in imagination, he
delicate lovely form torn by the teeth o
the monsters; saw them appease thei
hunger with sanguinary delight. hat
often heard that these creatures pursued
their prey with obstinacy and speed
which made it impossible to escape from
them. If our horses could hold out, We
might be saved-but felt sure thai
their strength would be exhausted be-
fore that of our pursuers, and that we
should fall sacrifice to them. I wore
hunting knife by my side and had also
with me rife and pair of pistols
but my provisions of powder and ball
was small, and could serve only to bring
down some few of these savage animals.
which l knew were accustomed to go out
upon their nightly expeditions in foeks
of several hundreds together.
In the mean time, old Rosko drove
the horses onward with increasing speed;
but it was not necessary to urge them
much, for the acute instinct OF the ter
rifed beasts understood the approaching
danger better than we. 1 felt an un-
ceasing inclination to look back into the
distance behind US, in order to listen
through the stiffness of the light, for
some sound that might confirm the hor-
ror of our fate.
Rosko saw and heard palmer than l.
They are coming-they are COM
ing p whispered he suddenly. Don't
you hear the rushing and painting p
They look like a dark shad1w as they
come up out of the valley. 1t is pack
of more than hundred"
I now saw what Rosko's quicker sight
had already seen. With strange gil
ding motion, an enormous black mass
came nearer aud nearer it passed so
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 resemblcd sometimes grunt.
ing noise, and sometimes tho painful
hollow, but yet partly repressed yells of
one in agony. Axinia still suspected
nothing; nothing could arouse her from
the thoughts of home which engaged her
so deeply. Twas not able. however, much
longer to leave her in that happy uncon-
sciousness of the danger which threatened
us. I cogld already distinguish the
separate groups of the eager monsters; /;
already had burst forward, out of the
mass, and were within gun shot of our
sleigh. raised my gun, cooked it, and
aimed at the foremost of the creatures
'Stoop down ~ cried I, to Axinia, who
had started up as if frightened out of a
dream. She looked at me inquiringly,
but it was evident from my actions that
this was no time for questions. She in
stantly bent down her head and shoul-
ders; my gun went off, and the foremost
and largest fell to the earth. My shot
had walked the lady's maid, and she be
gan to scream, thinking we were at
tackled by robbers.
at is OILY the wolves" said Rosko,
with astonishing GOODNESS. eve are rid
of one; but hundred others will be
our faithful companions until" He
said no more, for he did not wish the fe-
males to hear the worst. In the mean
time, the horses, startled by the report
of the gun, darted forwar with renewed
vigor, whilst the wolves made stop to
gather round the dead body of their
companion.
at will not last long ng,''-murmured
Rosko to himself. "Iknow them they
will soon be close behind US again; and
their perseverance, will put the best
horse to shame"
now had on opportunity of seeing
how great was Axinia's strength of mind
She spoke words of perfect composure,
and exhorted me to join her IN prayer
to Him whose will could instantaneously
tame the wild beasts of the desert. Sne
sank on her knees in the bottom of the
sleigh, and beside her the lady's maid
but the latter was not capable Of collect
ing her thoughts to pray, and she gave
way to continual lamentasion, and to re-
peated denunciations of the journey it
self. BY this time had reloaded my
rife, and it lay against my shoulder in
a state of readiness, whilst the horses
we're doing their best to escape from our
pursuers. Then the rushing, bowling,
and painting drew nearer again the dark
mass came on with wonderful speed, and
I soon perceived that few of the crea-
lures had out-run the others, and were
with. their gaping jaws ex-
tended towards US. A second ball struck
the most daring of them to the ground.