The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-12-30

mercy upon US"
a siekeuing sensation vent Ike q fash o.
the heart, and then came buniug thoughts
Of home, aud again the ehills, as thought
Of ths shslIsrless prairie and binding snow,
sAgsig W black devils are on our track"
AZ Blair spoke he laid bic hand upon my
arm, and with an expression 0i sadness which
! never shall forget, looked ms steadily in
the eye, There was q tFemor Of Ihe lip
which I had never seen before, Il was not
iear--l knew that-but some terrible remem-
brauee Or preseHtimeHt which came over bin
with irresistible poser.
"lhe houf has come ! knew u Fould-
have iflt IL fpr days ! do not fear dealt, but
ii s horrible to bo hunted down IN such
spot as this, and be torn by inierual devils
Hir breath came thick and kissing through
bic elenohed teeth, and his chest heayed with
intense emotion,
"iiere," said he. lihing the soiled stdnF
over hia head, and taking loekd attached
o. IL in hia hand, "is the shadow Of one sou
never knew, bat the original was once thc
light Of my young wife, aud came with me
TO this territory when the world was bright
with hope, lsit her In Ihe cabin one day,
and went 10 my work a. usual sAe crossed
the valley and came whore / wa working
Wishing 10 lell the tree was al work upon,
! urged her to cross the log over the er,ts
before DARK and / would Immediately follow
her She had not been gone but a little
time, when there burst up between me aud
our cabin, that long, freezing sound, the howl
Of wolf IL was answered as II from q
thousand throa,s up and down the valley un-
Ill one Wild. startling, unearlhy howl sNelled
on the still evening air. God, how that howl
went to the soul reelrd in utter weakness
a moment. but soon rallied, aud with the
speed and energy Of despair, rushed down
the path. had REACHED the stream, and was
upon the old trunk thrown across, when az.
other aud different sound reached my ears
II seemed that my brain would burn into
ashes under the fiery heat, and my heart
burst from my bosom. That was the cry Of
my vile, clear, wailing shriek of mental ag
ory."
Blair dropped his head and thrust his EN-
fiers into bis ears, ns' II that tcuiblc sound
vas again ringing through the forest a mo-
ment, aud he huriedly resumed
II remembered no more until the morning
broke. aud The sun su,led through the trees
upon the terrible scene. II vas horrblc1-
/ The ground was torn aud stained With dark
spots where pools Of blood had sunk away.
Seven long black bodies lay around gashcd
/ by the axe, some Of them glazing 6ceely a.
I they fell their tongues thrust out, aud the
white fangs cleaning fcreeiy in their open
/ jaws The axe itself lay within reach, red
With blood is entire length. My own arms
were also stained aud still damp. but, God
Of mercy! a~Worsc sight than all this met my
gaze OF returning consciousness. Tightly in
my arms was holding the head Of my wife,
( her form bare and her limbs torn into very
shrcds.
The old man soblpd conyuld,oly, and
vruug his hands until it seemed that the
blood would start from his fingers. -
"Coming!" --.--------------' ---- .'--
Again, aud nearer than before, the disma!
howl rose above the storm The camp hrc
bsrned dimy in the hlinding storm Of SHow'
and sense Of loneliness came over the spir.
it darker than the sky overhead.
/ "Herc, take this, said Blair, as he handed
me the ocket, "and il you survive carry 1t
to --, New York, and will thank you
. Boy, j an not afraid to die. Death will b.
r.st, and sha., see Maria. We must take
+ to the try. Il - freeze, or death by thc
wolves. Quick boy Good bye"
felt the hot tcars drop upon my hand as
the old man pressed his quivering lips upon
It, and then pushed on towards the trees.
We had need to be quick, ioI wehad hard-
ly reached the branches, when score OF
long, gloomy shadows shot out Of the 'u.-
rounding darkness, and sent up yell which
went to the heart colder than the breath OF
the winlry blast. They paid but little at'en-
!. ton to the dim kse aud scenIug their prey
gathered in a shadowy circle beneath us.
Lash yourself fast, boy, and commend
your soul to God, for YOU will freeze, aud
better to rot on the oak, than be torn by the
devilsp
"Its of no use" he oontinucd,as l sgg6s@.:eA
that the sound Of our guns might REACH the
inmates Of the cabin, "thsy would not hear
them in the Storm, and besides swear by
the living God that will send some Of them
to hell before die
Blair commenced his deadly work and as
one of the wolves fell the others fought and
snurlcd, and gnashed their teeth over the
horrid FEAST Their teeth sounded like sm-
ting Of steel upon steel. Still they howIed
more fercely as tire sltuEhter went on.
"My gun is wet, and will not 60" ! heard
Blair mutter with curse. "Damn EN-, III
try them with the axe.
My wildly uttered warning vas too late
for, az il swelled above the sounds below,
] ,,;tb unnatural strength Blair leapcd down