The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-01-14

a rnRILLIxo sroRr.

A InRILLIN0 sT0RH.
God have mercy upon rs
| This exclamation Vas not moro sudden
than startlingly uttered, and sent the chill.
creeping from the leaping heart in prictIing
sensations over the skin.
/ Is Was tho Erst time l had ever noticed
such q tremor in the old squasssr's tones,
or manner which Indicated that be ever
felt fear. 1t was something unusual, and
With my young pulse quickened, watched
the old man BY the dim light Of the FIRE.
! had known Luke Biair--ssOld Luke, y
a. be was call-for ten years, and yet knew
nothing OF its history. There was mys.
tory about him which mono ever penetrated,
and an ecceutricity Of manner which gave
his movements peculiar interest to his
rougn but true hearted comrades. He spent
his time in the woods, and never brought
in anything bat wolves scslps. There vas
. fierce burning look in his eyes ~ be flung
them upon the ground, and he would sit for
hours after one OF his excursions with his
bead bowed between his hands.
As unsocial as was the squatter, he was
respected BY all who had come in contact
with him. lie was brave to madness, and
yet as cool in danger as in his camp. Nor
was there anything rough in his manner on
the contrary, there was an easy bearing
almost elegance which bespoke day Of
education and refinement. And when he
did speak his language was we'll chosen.
h0d ! 1GxMf oh
the respect Of the hardy spirits around him.
He was six feet in height, broad shouldered,
full chested, and form erect, and his limbs
were models Of ofsymmetry and strength; hair
and beard had grown unshorn since we had
known him, and were thickly sprinkled with
gray. But the forehead, though darkly
bronzed and deeply seemed, was almost
massive, and the head Of faultlees mould
The eye was dark, lustrous, and, in excite
ment of peculiar and fascinating power
Around his neck was some sacred token,
which no eye had seen, and which he guard
ed with jealous care.
There was something about the old man
his commanding presence, his bravery, and
his lonely habits and cad manner-which
won my young heart, and watched every
opportunity Of manifesting my regard. l
had engaged him to guide me to the Mssis-
sippi, by the way Of - Prairie.
For several days We threaded the dense
forests which interviewed, and under grea.
difficulties. The snow had fallen to au un-
usual depth, the cold was intense, aud rem
dered more intolarable by the fierce wind
from the prairie waste. We were warmly
dressed, bu. there were times when the wea-
~ frame began to feel the dreamy influence
Of the sleep which steals SO fatally over the
senses.
On the night in question We had turned
aside to seek the shelter of small tim Der, and
to find fuel for our fire. We had faced tho
binding storm all day, and could hardly
keep sufficiently awake to kindle fire and Sc
cure fuel for the night. We had just ac-
complshed this when the hunter made the
exclamation at the head of our story. was
awake at once, and the blood tinged
through my chilled brains-for | knew
Luke Blair would not so speak without
cause.
clark -
The word was but whisper, bat had a
terrible distinctness. His hand had inv olun-
tarily sough, his rife, and his head turned
towards tho woods. | heard nothing but
the wild roaring of the storm as it swept
by.
s.Thcre 'tis ngnin! The devils are on our
tack - AMI he clutched his knife handle
with steady grasp, and breathed hardly
between his thin nostrils.
heard the noise this time, which had at
tracted his attention before, swelling, ms the
storm lulled an instant, into a wild, pro:ract-
ed howl, rs from thousand famished
al nd hot
| fearful tone, which startles the boldest. even
eyes met he slowly whispered:
| ga pack of hungry wolves! God have
mercy upon us ~
| A sickening sensation went like fash to
my heart, and then came burning thoughts
Of my home, and again the chills, rs |
thought Of the shelterless prairie and blind
ing snow.
"Again! the black devils are on our
track" As Blair spoke he laid his hand
upon my arm, and with an expression of
sadness which never shall forget, looked
me steadily in the eye. There was .remor
of tho lip which had never seen before
Il was not fear-l knew that-bu. some
terrible remembrance or presentmens
which came over him, with irresistible
power.
"The hour has comet knew it would
have felt il for days. do not fear death,
but it is horrible to be hunted down in such
q spot as this. and be torn by the iafernal
DEVILS"
| His breath came thick and Kissing through
his clenched teeth, and his chest heaved with
intense emotion"
| There,' said he lifting the string over
his head, and taking locket attached 10 it
| in his hand, sis the shadow Of one you new.
er knew, but the original was once the light
| of nv young life, and came with me to this
| territory when the world was bright with
hope. / left her in the cabin one day, and
went TO work rs usual. She crossed the
valley and came to where was working
Wishing to fell the tree was at work upon,
| urged her to cross the log over the creek
before dark, and / would Immediately fol-
low her. She had not been gone but little
time, when there burst up between me and
our cabin that long, freezing sound, the
howl OF a wolf. II Was answered as If from
a thousand ,hroats up aud down the valley.
until one wild, startling, nncarthly howl
swelled on the still evening air. God. how.
that howl went to the souls resled IN
utter weakness m moment, but soon rallied,
and with the 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
reached my ears. II seemed that my brain
would burn into ashes under the fiery heat,
and my heart burst from nv bosom. That
was the cry Of my wife, clear, wailing
shrek of mental agony"
Blair dropped his head and thrust his
fingers into his ears, IS If that terrible
sound Was again ringing through the for
est. A moment and he husriediy resumed /:
al rememer no mora unit! the morning
broke, and the sun smiled through the trees
upon the terrible scene. II was terrible -
The ground was torn and stained with dark
| spo,s where pools Of blood had sunk away.
Seven long black bodies lay around gashed
BY the axe, soms Of them glaring fereely rs
they fell, their tongues thrust out. and the
white fangs cleaning fsarfuiiy in their OPEN
laws. The axe itself lay within reach. red
with blood iss entire ieogth- My Own arms
were also stained. and ssill damp. Bat,
| God Of mercy. . worse sight than All ,his