The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1857-08-12


was taking aim, but | noticed it was no,
very steady. lie pulled the uigger--a
dull snap announced Il miss fire. lie pull.
cd the other trigger---il SNAPPED ia the
same way. The gun WAS wet with the
rain.
WAS anything ever so provoking y
said Poke, as the eyes vanished in the
darkness.
fiji is the devil, he will have YOU
now
How caa you talk So said the Doctor,
with strong accent on the can
There is your deer Poke, in the wind
fall, said |, as caught sight Of the eyes
moving rapidly along over the mass Of
N"'5cr Ihat lag he&yeQ and knotteI to-
gethcr.
'Ihats no deer said Poke; mo c'ovcn-
loot, could ever go over that windfal! tha,
way. | would rather see the night hunts
man ct the llartz Mountains than see
those eyes again. AS he was speakiu1-,
| saw IN the mky darkness ahead OF Us.
another pair OF eyes, aul two or three
pairs on the left. The truth flashed on
me. The scarcity OF the deer, the proy.
mm;ty Of TIE windtall, the rcste>sness Of
those l'alctuI eyes, all gave me The c,ue-
the wolves were around us.
word 10 Poke, and the affair was OK.
rta'me'i, anl we stood still for consu,a.
ton. We tired rev caps IN our gun
bnt It WAS OF no use. the cones were sat.
urhtcd with wairr. We turnc,. toward,
the camp, but in OR confusion We Corrot
the direction. 10 highlcu the misery of
he scene, our torch was almost burnt
out-let that die, and tie rast could be
easily divided.
We were standing. at the time, undcr
grove Of small pecan trees. and at tina,
instant "a low whine was heard from The
shadow nclr us--a whinr ike hunrry
dog.
Poke did no: say word but drop
ping the gun, and sezing limb OF one
OF the trees over his head, with AN agiT
y for which | had never given hun the
lcHst credit, elevated himself to the crotch,
about ten fec; from the ground.
del not wan, TO do ANYTHING Of the
kind, al cuurse cot 4: | w,,.II 49, T. 49,
,.',,~oL ",y back against Il tree, and wen
glorious death in battle against my
numerous foes ; but, alack, foi a bad ex.
ample, dropped the torch, that broke N
pieces in falling, and clasping the nearcs,
tree, which happened to be medium siz
cd gum tree, soon scrambled up t a
place OF ssisly. Lucky was it Tor me
that had tHat tOrci in my hand. for
when It fell, it lay scattered arounl the
base Of tae tree, still llckering and flash
me- IN the darkness, and the wolves, rs
they SAW Iher prey escaping, rushed for
ward with an angry noise; they saw the
glowing emOcrs, and held back Just long
enough TO permit my escape. As drew
myself up On the first limb, rush Of
gratitude passed over my soul, and my
feelings wcr.: aS warm rs u chi!d's. |
could see nothing around me, for the som
Ora forest shat out the Hale light there
was ia the atmosphere, but | heard the
pat'cr,mg 81 feet h1uca;h my fortress, ike
falling rim. Back aud forward they
came nud went, and suor,ing sounds and
chanp'ug tech made tho bIuck nILht
'IIv" with immagjuary shapes. won.
dcred how II ttrsl witk The Doctor vet
| dared not call, for the uncertainty WAS
less fearful than the reality might be.
pictured him fallen, dragged back from
h!a half attained refuge, aad divided
among the hungry pack; and the very
noises | heard, might Ue The mumbIing
Of his bones,
"Whilc their white tu.ks crunchcd DER his viii.
ter skull,
.ia it slipp'd through their jaws when their
cdsy g:cw dun
At length summoned courage, ar-l
called Poke =
Charlie " was the response-more
grateful 10 my ear than any sound in the
world.
How are you, my boy 2 called
again.
Safe thank the Lord =
Nv nat dreadful situation TO be in, =,
and how are we 10 get ont of I'll
i will be grateful, il can only keep
IN 1t for this tree is So small, that the
wolves can almost reach INC when they
jump aud rs | climed up, one caught
my cot tail, and tore it entirely off,
Climb up higher, them
i can't; the tree is so small, that
when J get ahy higher, it bends over, and
let's me down--oh dear =
Haven't you your pistol with You -
Try and shoot one, aud it may lrightcn
Them
oh, dear, no; there are hundreds of
them, Just look II; their eyes--how they
stare At me !
| looked down, and surely could see
drove Of them, judging from their eyes,
for they shone with that blueish tiuge
that Is 80 peculiar, and presented fear
fuI scene of monsters with eyes Of fire.
They were evidently the gray wolf, for,
IN spite OF the darkness, could, once in
while, detect their motions from their
light coats.
All the fearful stories had ever read,
or dreamed, came courSing through my
brain. saw snow buried huls snufied
out and ravisbed by these prowlers. |
heard the shrek oi The child, thrown
from the sleigh By its fear maddened