Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1857-04-18
q Capital 6|ttitD,
A Night among the Wolves
BY JOHN G. WHITTIER.
e 7as gad o,' u"y.
s.cpting the plorc ol siaEg aie., uIth iis todg
.3nd H,Ust GttHsuc k0nt, dii osk Jor Jood.

"'Twas night of January, IL. We
had been to a fine quilting trolic, about
two miles from our settlement Of four or
five log houses. was rather late about
l. O'Clock, shonld say-wheu the party
broke Up There no mooR-and "A dali
grey shadow Of haze hung around the hor
izon, while overhead few p lc and SICILY
looking stars gave US heir dull light as
they shone through 4 dingy curtain. There
were six OF us in Company larry Mason
and tour as pretty girls as ever g'cw up
this sid5 of the Green Mountains here
were nv two sisters, and II .rry ) sisters,
ald bis sweet heart, the dau! OF our
next door Leightor. She was downright
handsome girl hat Caroline Al en-. !
| never saw her equal, though l am no
srau .cr to prctty faces. She was so plea
mt and kind of heart--so gentle and
sweet spoken, and SO Intelligent, besides,
rha, everybody loved her, she had an
eye as blue as the hill v,oict, and her lips
were like red rose leaf in June. No
wonder, then, thit Harry Mason loved
hcr-boy though he wasi Sor We had
neither Of US seen our seventeenth SUNNI n,
Oar path lay through thick forest Of
oak, with here and there a tall pine rail-
ing its dark full shadow again t the sky
with an outline rendered indistinct by the
darkness. The snow was deep; deeper a
Great deal than it ever falls oil late years
but the surface was frozen strongly enough
to bear oar weight; and we hurried OF
over the bright pathway with rapid steps
We Ii d not proceeded far, before long
lowl came to our ears. We all knew it il
a moment and could feel shuddci
thrilling the arA.s that were close to M
OVID, as n sudden cry burst from the lip!
Of all f us, 4Thc wolves the wolves !
! Did YOU ever sec wild woGf-nct on
. of your Gagged, broken down, show animals
y which are eYhibited for Z sixpCace sight
and ch ldren half price; but a fierce, hal
:. starved ranger of hc wintry forest, howl
d ing and hurrying over the snow actuall
d mad with hunger! There is no one
d Gods creatures which his such a frightfr
fiendish look, as this auimal. 1t has I'll
"a form as well as the spirit of a demon.
, Another and another howl; and then "
u could hear distinc ly the quick pattcr
feet behind us. We turned hight alb
IS and looked in the direction Of the soun'
rs sThc wolves are aItcl us said Maso
nd nd pointing to line Of dark bodies. And
IS in fact they were, a whole troop OF thel
W howliug like so many Indians in pow-ro
y, We had no weapons of any kind, and '
knew enough Of the vile creatures wi
colIovod MS to know that it would be Us
S., less to contend with tLem. There was II
raj a moment 10 lose; the savage beasts We
,Gy, by close upon Us. TO attempt flight wou
,rc have been u hopeless affair. There W
ia, 10 but one chance of escape, and We Instant
seized upon H. .. ,
sTo the tree let Us climb this tree =
ss ss cried, springiug forwards Il low bough
i oa and gnarled oak which | saw at CLAN
,Hd might be easily climbed.
md Harry Mason spreng lightly into
yer tree, and aided in p acing the terrih
girls in a place Of comparative safety
-- mong the thick bcughs, l was the last
the ground, and the whole troop were y(
,a,, ing at my heels before | reached the I
ni, id,' of the company. There was one NONE
Ies' of hard breathing and wild exclamation
sis 'Is' mong us, then feeling of calm thankt
anO ness for our escape. The night was co
me- ,6s and we soon began to shiver and sha
like so many sailors on the topmast of
=, Iceland whaler' But there were no N
,,sl Sf murs, no complaining among US, for
could distinctly see the gaunt, attenus