Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-01-29

! SUIT was hopeless, and turned with Nindlc-
/ tive heart to rctracc his footsteps brooding
ON some swift and terrible revenge sudden
| ly, the silence of the night was broken by
/ cry, that rang through the frosty air with a
| wall - >hrill and Wild that Christopher
| paused in suspense to hear a repetition of the
sound. After some moments of intense list
cuing, the growl and snar Of gorging wolf
came down like deep breathing through
the stiffness. With smile of grim pleas
urc, hc reloaded his rifle, and throwing it
over his arm, stal6cd sullcnly back to the
inn.
When Gcrtruda saw her husband start 50
I uu"Nr dly ou their Path, her first intcn-
| ton was to throw herself from the pulta (:
| but She soon discovered that the accomplicc,
when he drcw ON the large gloves, had art
! fully united her wrists. So that she was Il
| complete prisoner, puioncd and handcufcd.
That Tuctl wa, the author ofths outrage.
! she had NO doubt and when she could mus
| tcrcouragn to look on the motioncSs driver
| before her. sh" had no hesitation in belicv-
| ing that he and the dreaded lap were the
same. His well built muscular framc--lor he
differed in most characteristics from the uco-
pie of his naton-ailurdcd of itself a strong
confirmation of her belief; while none but
| Gurta could preserved such n dauntlrss atti-
tud' his form rising like mast from the
carriage, and swaying with the nvinc pulta.
! Again, had other circumstances left
any doubt, glance at his dress
would have dispcllcd it, \ tall cap, Of the
| priceless black fox, rose straight from his
| forehead; while the tail of snow-whitn
ermnp its extremity tippcd with back.
| hung from the crown to his shoulders like a
dropping feather. The robe that cncomras-
scl hi, person was made Of many hundred
skins Of the black martcn, and descended in
regal amplitude from the neck to the heels.
! while chain Of silver amulrts. rings. and
medals crossed. like a collar Of state. his
furry Shoulders As regarded his features.
Gcrtruda was vet in ignorance; for though
| Tuoti had seen her frequently. she had never
| herself met him. and it was only through her
mother that she had heard of his proposal for
| her hand 1t was therefore not without
certain curiosity that. despite the danger Of
her position. she watched for some motion Of
her guide that should enable her I, SEQ hi,
cpuutonancn: but though the north wind
came howlnr over the bleak stoppos.
and the tlving reindeer dashed on the
snow like spray. and the swclls and dirs
in the surface of the plain made the carriage
rise and fall like vessel in storm, the driver
| never for a moment removed his unurotocted
glance from the black outline of hills that
rps. like a wall in the distance. and towards
which the reindeer stretched at their utmost
speed As if a part of the inert vehicle. he
| continued to stand erect: now over the plain
and uneven stcrpos. and anon IN the noun
tlin-track and down the GLOOMY rlons and
riffs. At length. dashinr lrtoa sheltered ra
vine, and skirtinc the bank Of a frozen lake.
whose icc blue as steel. contrasted stornlv
with theuniyersal white that covered hill and
vale. the deer suddenly halted before a series
| Of CANNES or low huts--tho winter encamr-
mcnt Of Tueta Tadrona the Lap.
The driver had scarcely leaned to the ground
when. with a crv and a howl, huge black
cat bounded on his shoulders, and began ca
rcssinr him in manner as farocious as play
| ful During this ceremony, three or four
| Laps hurried to the pulta, and unfnstcninc
| her gloves, carried Gcrtruda at once into the
| lare. st canine: where. such was the effect of
the sudden heat and unwholrsom atmos-
| ph"ra Of the place, she would have tainted
| hut for the assistance of several women. who,
bv removing her furs and giving her a draught
| of reindeer milk and brandy. succeeded in re-
| lieving her from the feeling of suffocaton
caused by the ovcn-like heat of the CANINE.
As soon as she wa sufficiently recovered,
the women placed before her hot milk. boil
5 n,
| she had been many hours without food and ex-
posed to the ricor of the weather. she was ALSO
! iutelv in need of. From the women. she could
| learn nothing further than that Tueta him
self had been her conductor-that this was
only one ofhis C,rms-that the great canine
with his mother and sisters, was a day 5
| Journey further to the east, and that the hut
| she was in was the womcn's CANINE. Failing
t. elicit any further intcllirencc. and cxprcss-
| inr her wearincss. they brought her a mat
trass of elder feathers. and inflow of Ian
! land grass and spreading it bv the fire.
Gertruda laid herself down on the luxurious
bed. and. despite her anxietics. closed her
eyes. and was almost instantly asleep while
the women, with their knees up to their
chins, and faces resting on theirhands. kept
watch round the fire, gazing with their
small bleared eyes into the glowing embers.
and in subdued whispers. rccountinr TO each
other tales of incantation and witchcraft.-
The strong odour Of cooked meat. and the
voices of the women. raised in dispute. awoke
Gertrude from a sleep that had extended over
the lanse or twn meal. an nrof,und had heen
her slumbers The sudden 'iinrling of sledge-
bells aprrised her that something of import-
ance had occurred, and while she wa. vet
Wondering upon il. nature. the women began
suddenly To attire her ureci.elv as she had
been dressed when she arrived. The same
men Immediately after entered, and taking
her in their arms, placed her. pinioned as
before, in a pulta, to which three reindeer
were already attached, while Tueta, a. be
fore, stood at their head Having given the
usual muttered notice to hi. team, the Lar
sprang into the carriage, and the ANIMAL
bounded forward. leaving the hut., lake, anC
valley behind. as the buoyant sledge, holdin,
onwards, rapidly crested the mountains tina
encompassed them. In about two hours
they descended the last hill, and entered OF
the vast level that, stretching from the Tor
nca River to the White Sea. extends foi
three hundred leagues it's desolate waste o
r snow, without landmark or track.
Though their course was still rapid, i
wanted that velocity which had heretofor
characterized their uroprcss f,r tha snov