Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-04-17

sped ahead, his teeth shut with vice.
like snap, missing Garry, and stripping
her shawl from her shoulders. With q
shrek she chung to me, and with my
arm | saved her from being dragged
out Of her seat.
became maddcned, reckless! /
shouted to the horse, now reeking with
foam.
We went on at a fearful rate. The
stunps and roots and uneven places in
the road, threatened at every instant to
wreck our sleigh.
Home was three miles distant. Oh,
t for q world to give for home! As
the road struck the river bank, it turned
shortly, almost on the brink Of a fear
full precipice. Here there was new
danger, It was difficult place, and
there was not only danger Of upsetting,
but Of being hurled into the river.
There was path across this angle of
land where logs had been hauled ont.
It was q mil nearer this way to clear
ing than by the river, but / burst not
attempt it With q. sleigh. z
On we sped! That fearful pack
neck and neck with US, and every now
and then jaws shutting like steel traps
close to our persons. Once around that
angle-and I hoped. How madly I
shouted to the noble brute We neared
the turn in that race for life.
+ Heavens! the Internal devils had
crossed ahead, and hung in dark mass
cs! A demon instinct seemed to pos
Esess them. 49,.
| A few moments more! The wolves
seemed to feel that we had a bad chance,
for they howled more devilish than ey-
er. With sweep the horse turned in
spite Of me. The left runner struck
high on the roots Of a pine, and the
sleigh swung over like a fash, burying
us in the new snow. Away sped the
horse, and my heart sunk as | heard
his quick footsteps dying out toward
home. -
The maddened pack had followed the
horse, and shot by us number Of rods
as we were thrown out upon the bank.
A shrek from Carry arrested them in
their career; in an instant they were
upon us. / gave one long, desperate
shout in hope Of arousing the folks in
the cabins. / had no time to shout
again hot breath burned upon me,
and the dark masses gathered around
like shadows Of doom. With broken
limb, I wildly kept them at bay for a
moment, but fercer and closer curged
the crashing teeth. Garry lay insensi-
bic on the ground before me. There
was one more chance. A stunted pine
grew upon the outer edge Of the bank,
and shot out nearly horizontally over
the river below, full a hundred feet
from the surface.
Dashing madly in their teeth with my
Fcudgel, l yelled with the warning en-.
ergy Of despair, grasped Garry with
one arm, and dashed recklessly out up
on the pine. Thought not Of the dam
ger / cared not. I braved one dan
ger to escape a greater. l breathed
freely as I heard the fierce growl Of
the bafied enemy.
l turned my head, and God of mer-
cy! A long shadow was gliding along
on the trunk Of our last refuge. Car
ry was helpless, and it required all the
strength Of intense despair to hold her
and remain upon the slippery trunk
turned to face the wolf-he was with
in the reach Of my arm I struck with
my fist, and again those fearful jaws
shut with d snap, as my hand brushed
his head. With a demoniac growl he
fastened upon the shoulder Of Garry
Oh, for help-for a weapon-for a
foothold on earth, where I could Crap
| pie with the monster!
| l heard the long fangs craunch into
the flesh, and the smothered breathing
as he continued to make sure his hold.
Oh, it was horrible! I beat him over
the head, but he only deigned MUNICH
ing growl. | yelled, wept, cursed,
prayed, but the hungry devil cared not
for curses or prayers. His compan-
ions were still bowling and whining,
and venturing out upon the pine. 1
almost wished the pine would give way.
The wolf still kept his hold upon
Garry. None can dream how the blood
Missed and swept through my knotted
veins. At last the brute, hungry for
his prey, gave wrench and nearly
threw nae from the pine. Carry was
helpless and insensible. Even the
craunching teeth Of the monster did not
awaken her from the deathly swoon in
to which she had fallen. Another
wrench was made by the wolf, and Car
ry's waist slipt from my aching grasp,
leaving me but the hold upon the skirt
Of her dress. The incarnate devil had
not released his hold, but, as if aware
Of the danger beneath, retained his
grip on the shoulder Of Garry.
The end had come! My brain reel
Ied-the long body of the wolf hung
downward like dark shadow into the
abyss, fast wearing out my remaining
strength. The blood gushed warmly
from my nostrils, and lights danced
and flashed across my eye-balls. The
over taxed muscles Of the hand would
relax and as instantly close convulsiyely
unan tho aludinn Sl1irt i haard