Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-03-27

A&dlu! pldcA Q6VllS are ON our
tracks, 80 gN
AS Luke Blair spoke he laid his hand
upon my arm, and, with an expression
of sadness which I never shall forget,
looked me steadily in the eye. There
was . tremor Of the lip which 1 had
never seen before 1t was not fear-I
knew that---but some terrible remem-
brance or presentiment which came over
him with irresistible power. Ess-.
"The hour has come! [ knew it
would have felt it for days / do
not fear death, but it is horrible to be
hunted down in such spot as this, and
Be torn By internal devils 4sA'' ss : 's.'''
His breath came. thick and Kissing
through his clenched teeth, and his
chest heaved with intense emotion.
Here. said. he, lifting the soiled
string over his head, and taking a
locket attached to it in his hand, sis
the shadow of one you never knew, but
| the original was once the light of my
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 as usual.
She crossed the valley, and came to where
/ was. working. Wishing to fell the
tree was at work upon, l urged her to
cross the log over the creek before
dark, and would Immediately follow her.
She had not been gonesbut a little time,
when there burst up between me and
our cabin that long, freezing, sound, the
howl of wolf. 1t was answered as if
from thousand throats up and down
the valley, until one wild, startling, un-
earthly howl swelled on the still evening
air. How that howl went to my soul!--
reeled in utter weakness 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. 1t seemed my brain
would turn into ashes under the fiery
heat, and my heart burst from my
bosom. That Was the cry of my wife
a clear, wailing shrek of mental agony
Luke Blair dropped his head and
thrust his fingers into his ears as if that
terrible sound was again ringing through
the forest. A moment. and he hurriedly
resumed sas .e f1.aasf IS lisa -
Il remembered no more until the
morning broke, and the sun smiled
through the trees upon that terrible
scene. It was horriblet The ground
was torn, and stained with dark spots
where pools of blood had sunk away
Seven long, black bodies lay around,
gashed by the axe, some of them glaring
iercely as they fell, their tongues thrust
out, aud the white fangs cleaning fear
fully in their open jaws. The axe itself
lay within reach, red with blood its en-
tire length. My own arms were also
stained, and still damp. But, God OF
mercy; worse sight than all this met my
gaze of returning conciousness. Tightly
in my arms, | was holding the head of
my wife, her form bare. and torn into
shreds. y ...-----
The old man sobbed convulsiyely, and
wrung his hands until it seemed that the
blood would start from his fingers. @es
"Coming!" ~. @ r. sf.s.
Again, and nearer than before, the
dismal howl rose above the storm. The
camp fire burnt dimly in the binding
storm of snow, and a sense of loneliness
and terror came over the spirit darker
than the sky overhead. .iat
Here, take this said Luke Blair
as he handed me the losket, ''and if you
survive, carry it to -, New York, anu
[ will thank you. Boy, | am not afraid
/ J;o na,fI will bo ,oe& .rJ ,h,D
see Maria, We must take to the tree
1t is freeze, or death by the wolves.-
Quick, boy! Good bye =
| felt the hot tears drop on my hand
as the old man pressed his quivering lips
upon it, and then pushed on toward the
tree. i's "
| We had need to be quick, for we had
hardly reached the branches when score
of long gloomy shadows shot out of the
surrounding darkness, and sent up vel
which went to the heart colder than the
breath ofthe wintry blast. They paid but
little attention to the dim fire; but scent
ing their prey, gathered in a shadowy
circle beneath us. ~ ,s.1s
Lash yourself fast, boy, and COM
mend your soul to God, for you will
freeze, and better. to rot ON the oak than
to be torn by the devils .r..' = ... s.
ats no usen- he continued, as I sug-
gested the reports of our guns might reach
the inmates of a cabin, "they would not
hear EN- in the storm will send some
of them to eternity before | die?''
Luke Blair commenced his deadly
! l,un and of tho r..
the others fought and snarled, and
gnashed their teeth over the horrid feast
Their teeth sounded like the shifting OF
, steel. Still they howied more fercely
as the slaughter went ON.
MY gun is wet, and will not CO.
heard Luke Blair mutter with curse
I'll try them with the axe
>" My wildly uttered " irning was too
, late, for, as it sRelled above the sounds
r below, with unnatural strength he lea pee
| down with shout Of rage and defiance
: and with his axe and knife fought tn,
8 pack face to face. @t h.
grew sick at heart as watched will
' burning eyeballs the struggle through
t the darkness. | could see the darl
forms swarrling around the tree wher
! Luke Blair bad backed up. After tn
4 6rst howl ofjoy, as itseemed to ME, whel
: be jumped down, the wolves were les
d noisy, and apparently more wary, 70
: they seemed to realize that they had a
It enemy to deal with, | madly called t
him, and muttered curses as [. tried t
n until the thongs with which [ ha
e Iashed myself to the trunk.
d ssHa, ha! glorious sport here, boy, an
other devil the lessr and his mania
d langh and shout came up scarcely les
= startling than those of the wolves al oun
a him. l knew that he was mad. al
Z ~. / cnnld hear the ,yice.like ia1rs. clos