Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-04-04

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his strength 10 procssd-'a very. very
strange thing slsctricisy.'
We both gased Tor . moment ., the empty
collar; then us both started. as u bya mu.
,usl and sudden iupulso, and looked lace to
face and then. without . word, knew
,b., 10 had observsd the sxprvsion Of the
dogs eye. that he had ss carefully concealed
hn fear, q. had. and that he iel, ~iib my.
sslf. tha, 20 tho farmhouse. AMI nowhere
slss had the dog goos. lie Was the fret 10
speak.
There !. no time 10 Be Lost ws must set
oG Immediately
In two minutes ws were on our way 20
the farmhouse. he taking the Lad.
The house vas about two miles distant.
and NO Sc, oG running. So eosrossed uere
our thoughts. that NO had gone some die.
tancs before we found out something that
made us both suddenly stop.
Il Vas showing. and the ground Was halt
changed from black TO white.
Dream coming true.' We both muitercd.
When Nc bad got within . stone throw
81 our destination, We saw . large animal
bound away TO oor right. and ,houshs !
saw something white in i,s mouth.
Rudolph = We both said. In breath.
did you not see something white In its
mouth 2 I asked.
No. said bs (; IL must have been the
snow
THIS seemed 90 reasonable an explanation.
that ! accented TO 10 at once. and FASTENED
onward.
wcsgr-ed to 90 to tho f.rmyard hr',. no,
wishing TO disturb the bouss nsedlsssly.
All seemed s,ill enough. ill, looking up to
the often. mentioned window. We saw the
farmer. ~,i. IN her night drcs', standing
jus, as had .-sn her In my dream. scstIc-
ula,ins wildly. We heard her cjsrula,s.
Save It 1! save 10" and without waiting
moment. ru.hed back 10 the road.
4, had le't od showing The footsteps Of
the dog. thanks TO the -uow that bad iallen.
were plainly p.rep'ihle. and shev turned
OF through gap In the hedge. We iOl.
lowed. Straight across ,ss f.ld showed the
track. now lighted for minute hy the moon
peering on, from cloud. nov los, again 10
th. darkness. Over three fields ws passed
thus. when saw. with terror harJlv posi-.
bic 90 describe. that the track became dot.
tel. occasionally NJ first. and afterwards
thicker and thicker, with small black dots.
! stopped. and my worst fears were realized
-, was blo,J. How that discovery spurred
Us on Over field aud hedge AMI ditch se
vent. follosing that dreadiul trail, which
became morn hiisou.ly apparent at every
srep. Over fences, through dyke. tearing.
lssping. Jumping. We Sent. caring no, how.
% tha, We only sped on with our heads
pressed forward. our tongues hot in our
mouths. and our hearts beating audIbly.
~ last. TO our surprise. Wa caught sigh, OF
Rudolph tearing away before US; then he
leapei . low wall. and was lost. How could
We possibly have eaush, him OPT Viewers
forced connnaally 10 ds'ia,e from the
straight path. now In order to End gap in
some hedge through which ~e cooli crawl.
now To discovir a narrower path Of acme
ditch owe, which To jump. no~. on account
Of tho darkness. losing the track altogether.
How could We have caueh, him up' We
soon came to the eaus---a pool of blood.
Here. then. he mus, have stopped to make
an end ~ the struggles oi his roor ,'ei'n'
here then. he must have stayed to rssale b.
brutal appetite! Revenge. however. would
not wait for tears. and without stopping .
moment. We hurried TO tho wall over which
the besst had disappeared.
To our surprise, ws found !, WAS the wall
Of our own yard. and leapips over it. We
discovered, alas 4! tha, ue were too. too late
Tor there. with lamp in bis hand. shedding
. dim light over the dreadful scene, stood
our servant james. and there, in a corner.
croucfing like . guilty thing. lay Rudolph,
and by bis side the manslet remains Of the
poor lit,,e-neLing pr