Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1859-12-21
Ilisrcllaucons.
LUXE Bs.A7R-s ENCOUNTER
WITH 4 PACK OF WOLVES.

tered. aud sent the chils creeping from the
leaping heart in prickiBg sensations over th,
skin
1t was the first time | had ever noticed
such tremor in the squat;ers tones, or
manner which indicated that he ever felt fear
1t was something UNUSUAL, and with my young
pulse quckened, | watched the old man By
the dim light os the iire-
I had known Luke Blair-tOii Lake" as
he was caled-for ten years, and yet know
nothing Of his his: ory. There was a M 5s-
terry about him which none ever penetrated
and an ecceutricity of manner which gave his
movements q peculiar interest to his rough
but true hearted comrades lie spent his
time in the woods and never brought in any
thing 6ug wolves scalps. There was fierce
burning look in his eyes as he flung them up
on the ground and he would sit for hours q f
{ ter one of his excursions with his head bowed
between his hands.
As unsocial as was the squatter, he was
respected by ..all who had come IN cortac.
with him. He was brave to madness, and
yet as cool in danger as in his camp Nor
was there anything rough in his manners; Gu
the contrary there an easy bearing
which-almost elegance-bespoke day of
lucation and refinement. And when he did
speak his language was we'll chosen.
Blair had other qualifications which won
The respect of the hardy spirits around him
He was six feet in height, broad shouldered
/ full chested, and form erect, ard his limbs
! were models Of symmetry aud strength hair
AM beard had grown uushorn since we had
kuown him, and were Tricky spriukled with
gray But the forehead, though dark "
b-onzed and deeply sea,Ded, was almost mas
/ sve and the head OF fauitiess mol l. The
/ eye was dark, lustrous, aud, in excitement,
( Of peculiar and fascinating power Around
his neck vas soue sacred token, which no
I eye had seea and which he guarded wi,l
Jealous care.
There was something ab5ut the old man
his ,mmading presence. his bravery, and bis
oaelT = and sad manner-which sai.
my young heart. and I watched every oppor-
,u.ity of n.snifesting my regard / had en-
gagged him to gnii" me to the Mississippi. by
uay o. Prairie.
For several days We threaded The dense
f,rests which intervened and uaier grea.
difficulties Il The snow had fallen to an urus-
uai depth, the cold was intense, and rendered
more Intoierabl. by tn fierce wind upon tie
prairie waste. We were warmly dressed,
out there were times when the weary frame
began TO feel the dreary influence of the sleep
which steals so fatally over the scnces.
On the night in question we had turned
aside to seek the shelter Of grove of small
i nbcr. and 10 find fuci for cur fire. Ne had
faced the binding storm all day, and coulI
hardly keep sufficiently awake to kindIe the
! fire and secure wood for the night We had
! Just accomplished this when the hunter made
the exclamation al the head of the story. [
vas awake at once. and the blood tiused
through my chilled veins, for knew that
7 ]
''Hark ~
The word was bat whisper, but had a
terrible distiuctness. His baud had involun-
tari!y sought his rife, and his head turned
towards the MOO IS heard nothing but the
vii roar Of the storm as it swept by.
There tits again. The devils are on cur
tact" aud he ciutchei his knife handle with
steady grasp, and breathed hardly through
ais thin nostrils.
[ heard the noise th Is time, which had at
Iracted his attention before, swelling, as the
storm luled an instant. into wild, protract-
ed howl IS from a thousand famished throats
clear, dismal, land wailing with that fearful
tones which startles the boldest even at their
iresides Blair turned, and as our eyes met
he slowly whispered
"a spack of hungry wolves. God have
nlcrcT upon Us .''
s sickeaing sensation went like flas'l to
the heart, and then came burning thou ghts
of home, AMI again the chills. as [ thought
of the shetcrless prairie and binding snow |
"a Agaul the black devils are on our tracksr'
AZ Blair spike he laid his hand upon my
arm, and with an expression of sadness which |
never snail forget looked me steadily in the |
eve There was treinor of the lip which |
had never seen before. 1t was not fear-I |
knew that-bu. some terrible remembrance |
or presentment which came over him With ir-
resistible power.
Tbe hour has come, knew it would
have felt ii for days do not fear death,
out It is horrible to be hunted down in such |
a spot as this. and be torr oy internal dew
lis
His breath came thick and kissing though |
his clenched teeth, and his chest heaved with |
intense emotion.
.'Here;" said he, lifting the soiied string |
over his head, and taking locket attached |
to it in his hand. lis tue shadow of one you |
never knew, but the original was once the !
light of my young lie, and came with me to |
this territory when the world was bright with |
hope. | efa her in the cabin one day, and |
went to nav work, as usual. She crossed the |
valley. aud came where | was WORKING
Wishing to fell the tree was AT work upon,
[ urged her 70 cross tho log over the creek |
before dark, and | wonld Immediately follow |
her. She had not been gone but little |
time. when there burst up between me aud |
our cabin that long. freezing sound, the howl
of a wolf. LIZ was answered as II from /
thousand throats. and up and down the val /
ley. until one wild, startling. unearthly howl |
swslled on the 6lill evening air God, how |