The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1860-03-01


| deadly horror might mean. Inever expe-
rIehceu the shock before, or since and
have, IN my hunting excursions, faced nv
danger and played out the game manfully.
10 have lost the way was terrible enough :;
| but-the wolves.-and Lota. An instant
l was numb and dumb.
1t was true, however The severity of
the weather, the migration or scarcity OF
| the animals on which these uncleap crea-
lures preyed, had made their HUNGER =
| raging. devouring madness. They were
encroaching on civilized territory, and. los
ing their usual characteristic and craven
co"ardlce, were approaching the habtations
OF men, haunting village and settlement
| woe to those In their path As the in
1ernal howl rose hngeringly again, the hor
ses dartcd away with a shrill neigh of fear,
and L guided them, beginning to recover
myself, III an opposite direction, while
Terror" my noble hound, stood up with
every fang barred, and every hair on end
waiting for the enemy he had already
scented.
If my good horses had gone on so ad-
mlrably at first, they sped offnow like arrows
from the bow; for the madness of fear
| added wings to theirspeod as that of hunger
did to our painting pursuers. l was grow
ing cold Lota was pale but calm. | felt
proud of her, though it was certain that if
we escaped not speedily the brutes woul |
run us down, and then, horrors Of horrors,
what a fate for tier!
l had two rifles, revolver, ammunition
| a spear and a wood-hatchet in the SLEIGH
| conveyed my intentions to Lota. Can
you load these weapons with those cartride-
esq" | asked.
"les," was the answer and she loaded
"Fuller' and "Manton" with true
hunters skill. | took one rife-looked
back-the pack was increasing [ fired.
and LOta loaded; one after another fell, to
be devoured by their ravepous comrades: 4:
and still the horses sped on.
The accursed things were, for all this.
ginning ground. Doubts, fears, hopes. and
tremblings were at my heart as | turned
to the sweet girl whose life or death were
all in all to me, and said:
''Lota . if we die together. remember
that / tored y0's-HoHe JH you! | tell YOU
now if | may never again"
Kill me first" she whispered. II hear
your words echo them. You have nv
! heart. Eichard-"
"Oh, Lota best beloved, what a mo-
ment to confess and know not if feel
pain or cladneSs most"
There are now no secrets between us.
sail Lota, smiling; take this rife; give
nie-the pistol one kisS-Oh they come
Save me from them at any cost"
thought my ears would have split at
their dreadful yells, for they were now
upon Us, opening out to surround Us and
though the horses held brayely on, |
dreaded every instant that sheer terror
would paralyze them. 1t IS scarcely pos
sible 10 conceive the unuttcrable horror
that was encircing US both; young lovers
with beating hearts, forever, from that
hour, intcrchangcd with each other.
With loiling tongues, eyes of fame, and
hoarse, deep growls, they had ceased to
bay and howl: they were closing in upon
rs. | remarked one huge monster in ad-
vance of the rest his object evidently
being to leap into the sleigh from behind.
| fired, and missed him. The next mo-
ment his huge bulk came scrambling over
the back his paws were on me his fiery
breath on my checks; and | expected, as
| murmured a short prayer, to feel the
fangs Of the abhorrent brute in my flesh
\ flash crash Il gush Of bIood-and
the creature tumbled backward, shot
through the neck, to the spine, by my
brave Lota! Then l piled the hatchet,
and split skull after skull, while the sleigh
tore on; but was giving up all hope, and
turning round-oh, Heaven to spare
my darling a more hidcous fate, when
shot and shouts rang around, and troops
of dogs and hunters came swiftly to our
aid, and-we were SGUsd!
Providence had directed the sleigh to
Windy Gap;' our firing reached the hear
ing Of our friends, and brought them ont
in hot haste to aid us We were saved ::
and as | bore her fainting form into the
hospitable hall, and clasped her tenderly
to nay bosom, you may guess how sincere
was the gratitude / breathed in silence to
Heaven.
1t was the prelude to wedding, which
occurred soon afterwards; and you may
be sure, / never forgot my fight with the
wolves, and how pluckily my noble Lota
backed me, or the somewhat original but
apropos mode in which Il Told my Love"
pa- Wisdom from above, like the love
of God, passeth knowledge. Even those
h., Iop+ IL IL.