Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1859-12-24
"A pack Of hungry wolvssi God havs

suOuSus VI Wv sAeAs0AA0es P's" Sue
binding snow.
"Againl the black devils are On ou1
track I" Al Blair spoke hs laid his hand
upon my arm, and with an expression o
sadness which never shall forget, Looked
me steadily in the eye. Thsss WAS : ire
NOR Of the lip which ! had never seen Be-.
fore. Il vas sct fsar-I knew that-but
some terrible remembrance or-prsssnti'
ment which came over him With irrssis
table power.
"Ths hour hes sosAs. I knew il would
have fels il for days. i do not fea,
death, but It 10 horrible to Be hunted down
in such spet ~ this, and b torn by in
fesnal devils"
His breath came thick and kissing thro'
his clsnchsd teeth, and bis chest hsavsd
with intense emotion.
Here said be, lifting the soilsd string
over his head, and taking lscket attach
ed to it in his hand, "is the shadow Of one
you never knew, but the original was ones
the light Of my young life, and came with
me to this territory when the world VA
bright with hope. l left her in the cabin
one day, and went to my work - usual
She crossed the valley and came where
was working. Wishing to fell the tree
was at work upon, l urged her to cross the
log over the creek before dark. and wo'd
Immediately follow her. She had not been
gone but = little time, when there burst up
between me and our cabin that long, frsez.
ing sound, the howl Of wolf. It Was an,
swessd 40 if from . thousand throats up
aud down the valley, until one wild, start
ling. unearthly howl swellsd on the still
evening air. God, how that howl went ia
the soul! I rseled in utter weakness's
moment, but soon rallied, and with h.
speed and energy Of despair rushed down
the path. l had reached the stream, and
was upon the old trunk thrown across,
when another and different sound reach
Cd my ears. 1t seemed that my brain
woald burn into ashes under the fiery
heat, and my heart burst from my bosom
That was the cry Of my wife, . clear,
wailing shrek Of mental agony
Blair dropped his head and thrust hi,
fingers into his ears, ~ if that terrible
sound was again ringing throughout the
forest. A moment, and he hurriedly re,
sumed-
81 remember no more until the NOR
ming broke. and the sun smiled through
the trees upon the terrible scene. 1t was
horrible! The ground was torn and stain.
ed with dark spots where pools Of blood
had sunk away. Seven long white bodies
lay around gashed BY the axe, some Of
them glaring fierce)y ~ the fell, their
tongues thrust out, and the white fangs
cleaning fearfully in their open jaws
The axe itself lay within reach, red with
blood its entire length. My own arms
were also stained. and still damp.
But, God Of mercy worse sight than
all this me, my gaze Of returning coa.
sciousness. Tightly in my arms l was
holding the head Of my wife, her form
bare and limbs torn into shreds.
4
The old man sobbed convulsively. and
wrung his hands until it seemed that the
blood would start from his fingers.
Comingr'
Again, and nearer than before the dis
NAL howl rose above the storm. The camp
FIRE burned dimly in the binding storm oI
snow, and . sense Of loneliness and ter.
ror came over the spirit darker than the
Here, take this" said Blair. a. he
handed mo the locket, land if you survive
carry i. 20 -, New York, and will
thank you. Boy, l am no. afraid to die
Death will be rest, and shall see Maria
We must take to the tree. 1t is freeze, Of
death by tbs wolves. Quick, boy: Good
bye ..
I fsl, the hot tears drop on my hand .,
the old man pressed his quivsring lips up
on it, and then pushed on towards the
trees.
We had need to be quick, for We had
hardly reached the branches, when score
Of long. gloomy shadows shot out Of tn,
surrounding darkness, and sent up ysl
which went to the heart colder than the
breath OF the wintry blast They paid
but little attention. to the dim fire and
scsnting their prey gathered in shadowy
circle beneath u.s.
"Lash yourself fast. boy. and commend
your soul 70 God, for you will freeze, and
better rot on the oak than b. torn BY .h,
devils
"It's of no use" hs continued. q sus
gested that the sound Of our guns nigh,
reach the inmates of the cabin, ''theJ
would not hear 'eln il the storm, aud be-
sides, swear by the living God that
will send some OF them 10 h-ll before
die
Blair commenced his deadly work. and
% ono of the wolves fell the others fought
and snarlsd, and gnashsd their teeth owe.
The horrid feast Their teeth sounded
like the shifting of steel npon steel. Still
they hovlsd more 6srcely - the slaughter
went on.
my gun Is wst, and will not co." ]
heard Blair mutter with = curse. "Damn
'em, I'll try them with the axe"
Ny mildly uttered warning Vas too late
for, a. il swelled above the sounds below
with unnatural atrength Blair leaped down
with shout Of rage and defiance, and
with his Axe and knife fought the pack
face 70 face.
l grew sick at heart ~ l watched with
burning eye balls the struggle through the
darkness. / could see the black forms
swarming around the trunk, where Blai,
had backed up. After the first howl Of
JOY, 40 it seemed to me, when Blair jump
ed down, the wolves were less noisy, and
apparently more wary. for they seemed to
realize that they had an enemy to deal
with. madly called to him, and mutter
ed curses, as tried to unite the thong.
with which l had lsshsd myself to the
trunk.
"Hs, ha! glorious sport here, boy 3
another Of devils the less !'andhis maniac
laugh and shout came up scarcely les,
startling than those Of the wolves around
him. knew he was mad.
l could hear the vice-Iike jaws Gloss
constantly around BlsYf. and now aud
then bic axe sink with heavy, croucbins
sound into soma skull, and then al grs~