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

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would be exhausted before that of oul
crifce to them. wore hunting knife
by my side, and had also with me rifle
and pair of pistols but my provision
of powder and ball was small, and could
serve only to bring down some few ot
these savage animals, which i knew
were accustomed to go out upon their
nightly expeditions in fiocks of several
hundreds together. In the meantime
old Rosko drove the horse onward with
unceasing speed but it was not necess-
airy to urge them much, for the acute
instinct of the terrified beasts under
stood we'll the approaching danger.
felt an unceasing inclination to look
back into the distance behind us in or
der to listen through the stiffness of the
night for some sound that might confirm
the horror of our fate.
Rosko saw and heard palmer than 1.
ing p whispered he suddenly. "Don't
you hear the rushing aud painting
They look like a dark shadow 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 a strange,
gliding motion, an enormous black mass
came nearer and 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 rcscmblcd sometimes a
Srumbling noise, and the painful, hol-
low, but yet partly reprcssed yells of
one in agony. AXinia still suspected
nothing; nothing could arouse her from
thoughts of home which engaged her so
deeply. I was not able, however, much
longer to leave her in that happy uncon-
sciousncss of the danger which threat
cncd us. 1 could already distinguish
the separate groups of the eager mon
sters already several had burst for
ward out of the mass, aud were within
gunshot of our sleigh. | raised my
gun, cooked it, and aimed at the fore
most of the creatures ''Stoop down -
as if frightened out of dream. She
looked at me in9uiringly, but it was
evident from my actions that this was
no time for questions. She instantly
bent down her head and shoulders my
gun Ycnt off, and the foremost and the
largest of the animals fell tG the earth.
My shot had walked the lady's maid,
and she began to scream, thinking We
were attacked by robbers.
"It is only the wolves" said Rosko,
with astonishing coolness. ave are
rid of Gnc but hundred others Will be
our faithful companions until -
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
vigor, while the wolves made 4
stop TO gather round the dead body of
their companion.
g 1t will not last long" murmurcd
Rosko to himself. Il know them
they will soon be close behind Us again,
and their pcrvcr&cucas Will put the best
horse to shame"
[ now had an opportunity Of seeing
how great was .Nxinia's strength Of mind. |
She spoke word; of comfort to the weep l.,
ng lady's maid, with perfcc. composurc,
md exhorted her to join her i'll prayer
10 Him whose will could instantancously
anne the wild beasts of the desert. She
'ank on her knee in the bottom of the
sleigh, and beside her the lady's maid !
Dut the latter was not capable of collect
ng her thoughts to pray. and she gave
way to continued lamentations and to
dcnunciations Of the journey |
itself BY this time [ had reloaded my
rife, and it lay against my shoulder in a
state of readiness, while the horses were !
1oing their best TO escape from our pur
suers. Then the rushing, cnuflling, an |
painting drew nearer; the dark mass
came on with wonderful speed, and ]
soon perceived that few of the crca- |
lures had outrun the others, and were
approaching with their gaping jaws ex-
tended towards us. \ second ball
struck the most daring of them to the
ground. hoped by this again to gain
time; 1 hoped that, favored by the fire.
quent stopping of the beasts over their
dead companions, we might be able to
gain the outside of the forest and per-
haps some human dwelling. But how
vain were my calculatione This time
they did not remain near so long with
their dead companion as with the first
1 had scarcely time to reload before they
were hard after us again.
1t is all of no USE" whispered Ros-
ko to me "the horses cannot last much
longer, and then We are lost"
And it is true that by this time there
was visible decrease in the strength off
our horses their breathing became the
anxious gasping and their pace unsteady.
They did their best, for they knew that
the blood thirsty dcstroyers were at our
heels and that only speed could save us.
But their powers became more and
more exhausted. Often had one or the |
other Of them fallen on their knees, and
then sprung up again with desperate
effort. We were indeed in fearful
situation [ trembled for AXinia's life,
not my own. My balls brought down
4 few moro of our pursucrs, but that no
longer disturbed them in their chase.
They were now close behind IL: Their |