, 1860-01-30

presently
"a clump Of frs-an old mill farther on;
yes," she added, II recollect; but We should
have passed them long ere this. Oh, lfaar We
are lostl"
a cold chill seized me Us i tacitly admitted
that she was in the right. could not account
for my error, il such was the case. looked
round thehorizon, but heheld no friendly Sign;
it was only circle gathering closer, and grow
ing darksr tue while.
Suddenly, my brave deer hound lifted up his
heqd, and uttered low growL The horses
gave slasued swerye just as suddenly. 4
strange, lugubrious, but appalling sound came
all at once from windward, wailing like
death-cry-a prolonged, awful, grooming dis
cordance- over the white cleaning SNOW; and
then it died away,
The horses talted, trembling; only the
stiveripg tiukle Of the bells broke the DEATH
silence that fell like eclipse over all
"What is hatf' asked Lota, in shudder-
ing whisper" as she clutched my arm.
1 listened. sit is the wind sighiug, and
dying away in the pine forest" answered.
Sand We do not 90 near the forest" she
said. "Hark! there it is again. Oh, what
s1hdt can it be?"
Again the indescribahly hideous and lug11-
brious sound broke forth; elearer-nearer. 1t
increased; it multiplied; the horrible eTTseeado,
bowling shrieling and rayening, was NOT that
Of the wind this time.
"Merciful God!" gasped Lota, "TnE
Wo1yEsl'
never understood, till that moment what
the concentrated essence OF literal, deadly
horror might mean. never experienced the
shock before or since; and have. in my hunt
ing excursions, faced my danger and played
out the game manfully. To hare lost the way
was terrible enough; but-the wolves!-
aud Lo.ai An instant I was numb and
dumb.
1t was true however. The severity Of tho
weather, tho migration or scarcity Of the ami
mails On whom theae unclean creatures preyed,
had made their hunger 4 raging, deronring
madness. They were encroaching On civilized
territory, and losing their usual characteristic
and craven cowardace- approaching the
habitations Of -haunting village and set
element Woe to those in their pa!A. as the
internal howl rose lingeriug'y again, the horses
darted away with a shrill neigh OF tear, and
guided tl.m-begnnipg to recover myself
il an opposite direction, while "Te1ror," my
noble hound, stood up with every taug barred,
and every hair OF end, waiting for the enemy
be had already scented.
If my good horses had gone ou SO adm!ra-
bly, at first, tlley sped oil now LIE arrows
from tie bow; Tor tue madness Of lear added
wings to their speed, as that Of munger oid 70
our painting pursuers. I Was growing cold,
Lota WAS pale, but calm. felt proud Of her,
though 1t was certain that if we escaped not
speedily the bruses would run US down and
then, horror Of horrors! what fate Tor her!
! had two rifles. revolver, ammunition,
spear, and wood-hatcher in the "sleigh." I
conveyed my intention to Lota. "Can ycu
load these weapons with those cartridges"
asked. .,
les, was Tue answer; ana she ioaoed .
Fuller" " and 'Aanton wlsh true hunt
eFs SKILL 11ook one f'ae-loekeq oacA-'he
pack was increasing: in1eo' ana Lota loaded;
ana one alter another 1ell' 10 po @ oesoofeo oy
the'1 raVenous comrades; ano s1an the horses