Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-01-31

i the stables of Rhesus of his hotSes!--
lN'Grick k-crack T. and the horses neigh and
toss theirarehing necks, and the bells are
Ginning and tinkling, and the mad, exult-
| ing rush uplifts one like wine.
remark, to myself, that the sky has
depend into an intense, still darkening
blue-dhrkening with a strange, uneaFthly,
tenebriOus inkiness, betokening coming
snow-storm. No matter-''Windy-g is
right ahead, and the welcome lights will
blaze out of the easements soon, for the
ofternOon is wearing.
+ On7we go-but do not see them yet;
and yet-but no-it's all right
,e"Are you warm-quite snug, dear Lota?"
said l, turning to look at the rosy, exqui-
site face peeping forth with so much furtive
coquctry from its encddreanent of white, cosy
Efurs. ~ afi3
i"Oh so comfortable" she answered,
with a Nesting movement, and a smile
which made my heart leap joyously up
ward. 'as a1ai etss -ag
But my attention was called to the creep.
1 ing, crcpuscular inkiness' of the sky. 1t
was light, yet not light, but blue light
Ito coin a word; that wintry hue of lividi
darkening steel, always the precursor to a
fierce change in the Weathef. This only
made the long level plains of snow CLEAN
with lustre the more dazzling and intense.
l remarked this, but with momentarily
|.dividel and wayering sense. II
Ihad never (familiarly as we had grown,
and was sEhonest as the skin between
your brows," as she was in fact)-I had
| never said "dear Lota" before, and the
words were yet in mine ears like a sweet
old buTthen. loved her with all my
heart and soul, but / had never told it.
/ yearned to tell her so now; but thought
lit scarcely fair-not upito the mark of my
1 Nalr an
advantage of the protection 1 was sup
posed to extend over her. ] magnani-
mOusly resolved to withholding down
the words-but not for long
Meantime, "Crick-crackl ~ went the
Hong whip, and still "cIing-clang" went
the Ginning bells, and the horses held on
with unabated pace and splendid Nigor,
but-where had ''Windy-gap" gone to all
this time, for time was up, and we should
be there by this? ~.
"Goodnnss p exclaimed LOtn, all at
once, show strange the sky looks; we shall
have more snOw-a heavy fall too.
81 fear so," replied, "bnt nEmporte,
we'll soon be out of 1t"
ave are very long, fancy" she con-
tinued reflcctiVely; 'syOu have driven there
quicker than this before. Oh, Heavenl |"
she cried, with the suddenncss of a reVe-
lation "can we have lost the trGek?"
/ Inc DlHuk question uhTpGu Will uOLtA-
BILE jar on my most vivid fears. Now or
never was the time to be quite cool.
"No, think not" ! replied, with as
sumed carelcssuess; tive shall come to our
landmark, presently"
ga clump of firs-an old mill, farther
on; ycs,". she added, 81 recollect; but we
should have passed them long ere this
| Oh, fear we are Iostl'
A cold chill seized me as I tacitly adj
mitted that she was in the eright. conld
not account for my error, if such was the
case. looked round the horizon, but be-
held no friendly sign; it was only n circle
catering closer, and growing darker the
while. H &C.
Suddenly my brave deer-hound lifted mp
his head, and uttered low grOwl. The
horses gave startled swerve just as sud-
denly. Astrangc, lugubriOus, but appal-
ling sound came all at once from wind
ward, wailing like death-cry-a prolong-
ed, awful, groaniAg discordance-Over the
white cleaning snow; and then. 1t died
away. aa
The horses halted trembIingIy; only the
shivering twinkle of the bells broke the
death-sileuce that felIlike eclipse over all.
"WhRt is thGk?" asked LOta, in shud-
dering whisper, as she clutched my arm.
listened. at is the wind siGEingI and
dying away in the pine forest, answered.
"And VIC do not go near the forest, she
said. "Hark!Ithere it is again. Oh, what
I-irhat can it be2"12d
Again the indescribabIy hideous and lu-
gubrious sound broke forth; clearer-near-
cr. It increased; it multiplied; the hOrri-
BILE eSeseendo, howling, shrieking, and raw
ening, was not that of the wind this time.
."Merciful GodF' gasped Lota. "The
Wolvesp
never understood, till that moment,
what the concentrated essence of literal,
deadly horror might mean. II never expe-
rienced the shock before, or sincei and
have, in my hunting excursions, faced my
danger and played out the game manfully
| To have lost the way was terrible enough,
but the wolves! and Lota! An instant L
I was numb and dumb.
+ It was true, however. The severity OF
i the weather, the migration or scarcity OF
the animals on whom. these unclean crea-
Itures preycd, had made their hunger ra-
| piug .deVouring madness. They were en-
croaching on civilized territory, and losing
their usual characteristic and craven cow
ardiceLwere approaching the habitationsi
/ of men, haunting village and settlement.
Woe to those in their path! AS the infer
1 nal howl rose liugeringly again the horses
darted away with a shriil neigh of fear,
and guided beginning to recover
myself-in an opposite direction, while
@Terror," my noble hound, stood up with
IFevery fang barred, and every hair erect,
waiting for the enemy he had already
scented.
If my good horses had gone on so admi-
bly, at first, they sped of now like arrows
| fromthe bow, for the madness of fe:Ir added
wings to their speed, as that of hunger did
to our painting pursuers. / was growing
cool; Lota was pale; but calm. felt proud
of her, though it was certain that if we
Escaped not speedily the brutes would run
us down; and then, horrorof hCrrOrsi what
| a fate EnP hart ... .,.-.., b.. #-,.-s..-,. L