St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-03-01

luS ulbCOIuduCc Tue "hitS,
k.uamins snow, and then it died away.
The horses halted trembling only
the shivering tinkling of the bells
broke the death silence that fell like
an eclipse over all.
"What is that ?" asked Lota, in a
sludderiDg whisper as she clutched
my arm.
/ listened. at is the wind signing
AMI dying away in the pine Forest |
ans ered.
"And We 10 not go near the forest"
sue said. Hark there it is again.
Oh. what -uh0i can it be ?"
Again the indescribably hidcous aud
luguorious sound broke forth clearer,
n rcr. 1t increased it multiplied !;
the horrible crcscendo, bowling. shrek
ing, raving, was not that Of the wind
this time.
Merrifnl God !" gasped Lota 'thc
wo,vos . =
never understood, till that mo.
ncnt, what the concentrated essence |
Of literal, deadly horror might mean.
never experienced the shock before
or since and have, in my hunting
excursions, faced my danger and
played cut the game manfuily. To
have lost the way was terrible enough;
but, the wolves and Lota An in.
slant was numb and dumb.
1t was true, however. The severi-
Is Of the weather, the migration or
scarcity Of tie animals on whom these
unclean creatures prcyed, had made
their hunger raging, devouring mad.
ness. They were encroaching on civ
ilized territory, and losing their char.
acteristic and craven cowardicc, were
approaching the habitations of men,
haunting village and settlement. Woe
to those in theirpath. As the Internal
howl rose lingcringly again, the horses
darted away with a shrill neigh Of
fear, and guided them, beginning to
recover myself, in an opposite dircc.
ton, while Terror" my noble hound
stood up with every fang barred, and
every hair on end, waiting for the enc
my he had already scented.
If my horses had gone on so admi
rably at first, they sped off now like
arrows from the bow for the mad
ness Of fear added wings to thei,
speed. as that of hunger did to on,
painting pursuers. l was growing
cold Lota was pale, but calm.
felt proud of her, though it was GER
tain that if we escaped not speedily
the brutes would run us down, and
then, horror of horror what a fate
for her
had two rifles, a revolver, amuni-
ton, a spear, and a wood-hatchet in
the sleigh" conveyed my inten-
ton to Lota. "Can you load these
weapons with these cartridges?"
asked.
YES was the answer and she
loaded a Fuller" and a" Manton
with true hunters skill. took one
rihe-looked back--thc pack was in
creasing ] fired, and Lota loaded
and one after another fell to be de-
voured by their ravenous comrades
and still the horses sped on.
The accursed things were, for all
this, gaining ground. Doubts, fears
hopes, 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
M0t ffored gon-noae but yow' tell
you now if may never again"
XIII me first" she whispered. al
hear your words echo them. You
have my hcart-Richard-'
Oh, Lota best beloved what a
moment to confess and know not if
feel pain or gladness most"
"Thcre are now no secrets between
us" said Lota, smiling take this
rifle give mc--the pistol one kiss
so they come. Save me from them
at any cost
thought my cars would have split
at their dreadful yells, for they were
now upon us, opening out to surround
us and though the horses held brave
ly on, dreaded, every instant, that
sheer terror would paralyze them. 1t
is scarcely possible to conceive the
unuttcrablc horror that was encircling
us both young lovers with hearts,
forever, from that hour, interchanged
with each other.
With lolling tongues, eyes of flame,
hoarse, deep growls, they had ceased
to bay and howl, they were closing in
upon us. remarked one huge mon
stcr in advance of the rest, his object
evidently being to leap into the sleigh
from behind. l fired and missed him
The next moment his huge bulk came
scrambling over the back his paws
were upon me his fiery breath on
my cheeks and expected, as MUIR
INJURED short prayer, to feel the fangs
of the abhorrent brute in my flesh. A
flash Ia crash Ia gush Of blood
and the creature tumbled backward,
shot through the neck to the spine by
my brave Lota
Then l piled Ratchet, 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 more hideous fate, when
shouts and shouts ran around, and
troops of dogs and hunters came swift
~ to our aid, and-and we were sared
Providence had directed the sleigh
to Windy gaps" our firing reached
the hearing of our friends, and brought
them out in hot haste to aid us. We
were saved and as / bore her faint
ing form into the hospitablc hall, and
clasped her tcnderly to my bosom, you
may guess how sincere was the graft
tude brcathed in silence to Heaven.
1t was the prelude to a wedding
which occurred soon afterwards and
you may be sure | never forgot my
tight with the wolves, how plnckily
my noble Lota backed me, or the some
what original but apropos mode in
which 81 Told My Love-
Energy Of mind is necessary in or
der to do good in the world, because
it is to be expected that wise and be
nevolcnt designs will be opposed will
energy. The greatest and best pur
poses have been thc most VIGOROUSLY