The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-03-28
Oh, what-whdt can it be ~


the wind this time.
Merciful God y gasped Lota
THE WOLVES !
] never understood, till that mo-
ment, what the concentrated essence
of literal, deadly horror might mean.
/ never experienced the shock before,
or since, and [ have, in my hunting
excursions, faced any danger and play
ed out the game manfully. To have
lost the way was terrible enough; but
] 1.-The wolves land Lota An in
slant was numb and dumb
1t was true, however. The severity
of the weather, the migration or scar
city of the animals on whom these un-
clean creatures preyed had made their
hunger raging, devouring madness.
They were encroaching on civilized
territory, and losing their usual char
acteristic and craven cowardice, were
approaching the habitations of men,
haunting village and settlement. Woe
| to those in their path As the infer
nal howl rose lingeringly again, the
horses darted away with shrill neigh
of fear, and | guided misunderstanding
to recover myself-iu the opposite d.
rection, while Terror" my noble
honnd, stood up with every fang bare,
and every hair on end, waiting for the
enemy he had already scented.
If my good horses had gone on so
admirably at first, they sped off now
like arrows from the bow for the mad
ness of fear added wings to their speed
as that of hunger did to the painting
pursuers. | was growing cold Lota
was pale but calm. I felt proud of
her though it was certain that if we
escaped not speedily the brutes would
run us down, and then, horror of hor-
rors what a fate for her
had two rifles, revolver, amuni-
tion, spear, and wood Ratchet in
the sleigh" conveyed my inten-
ton to Lota. :" Can you load these
weapons with those cartridges 2" I
asked.
f" Yes" was the answer; and she
loaded Fuller" and Manton
| with trne hunters skill. took one
| rife-looked back-the pack was in
creasing. I fred 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, trembling were at my heart as I
turned to the sweet girl whose life or
death were all in all to me, and said
"Lota if we die together, remem-
Der that I love yom-none but goa!
l tell it now, if may never again"
" Killm first" she whispered. II
hear your words; Iecho them ! You
have my heart Richard -"
Oh, Lota best beloved ! what a
moment to confess; and / know not
if feel pain or gladness most
There, now, no secrets between
u.s." said Lota, smiling; " take this
trife /; give me-the pistol one kiss
so !! they come Save ne from them
at any cost +"
| thought my ears wonld have split
at their dreadful wells, for they were
now upon us, opening out to surround
rs; and though the horses held heav-
lily on, | dreaded every instant that
shear terror would paralyze them. 1t
is scarcely possible to conceive the un-
utterable horror that was circling us
both; young lovers with beating
hearts, forever from that hour inter-
changed with each other.
With lolling tongues, eyes of flame
hoarse, deep growls, they had ceased
to bay aud howl; they were closing
in upon us / remarked one huge
monster in advance of the rest his
object evidently being to leap into the
sleigh from behind. / fred - and
missed him The next moment his
huge bulk came scrambling over the
back /; his paws were on me his fiery
; breath on nv cheeks and / expected
as / murmured short prayer, to feel
the fangs of the abhorrent brute in my
flesh.
A hash-a crash-a gush of blood
and the creature tnmbled backward,
shot through the neck, to the spine, by
my brave Lota Then I piled hat
Chef, and split skull after skull while
the sleigh tore on; but | was giving
up all hope and turning round-oh,
Heaven Ito spare my darling more
hideous, fate, when shots and shots
rang around, and troops of dogs and
hunters came swiftly to our aid, and
and we were both sared
i Providence had directed the sleigh to
Windy gap" our firing reached the
hearing Of our friends, and brought
them out in hot haste to aid rs. We
! were saved and as | bore her fainting
form into the hospitable hall, and clas-
ped her tenderly to my bosom, you
may guess how sincere was the graft
, -