The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-01-29

he only knew how things were going.
A black shadow shot into view and Hew a
!oug the roadside fence fierce hoofs plowed the
Ilsnow, and a riderlesS horse, his black chess
hecked with frozen foam, and his flank drop
ping blood, gallOped painting up the lane past
the kitchen window, and on to the stables.
Rachel saw that it was black Leo one min
ute she was a little dizzy, consciousness swept
round in giddy circles, then came q strong res
action from all the evenings torpor. and warm
vigor throbbed in every vein. Out OF doors IL
was icy cold T. sharp report came now ana
then from creeking trees and freezing eafth.
She piled the fire with fresh fuel, and deity
wrapped hereeif in warm outer garments, went
out quickly end quietly,an wsded through the
snow to the stables. Leo covered sh1VerIng IN
every limb by the stable door; there WAS frozen
gore ~clinging to his TANKS. lie nelghed with
Joy when she patted his neck. She opened the
door and led him into his stall, removed his
saddle fed and bedded him by the moonlight
shining down through the loft then she went
out and walked with rapid but steady steps
down the lane. She had done all this without
much thought, now she considered. ten. hoth-
rock was too infrm to bear the night air. Inc
hired man had gone to his W home TO Watch
with a sick child. The village OF toxcroft was
half a mile off, its people retired early and
much time would be lost if she first went thith>
err. There was a house six miles up the noun
tain road, near the summit; she could stop there
if ahe did not fad Hugh on this side. Hugh
lad doubtless been thrown-she would not
think further. Leo's feseh was frightfully torn
she had heard it said that wolves had grown
very bold this winter. If Hugh yet lived, she
felt sure that somehow she could save him F.;
if he had pssished, she would perish too. She
keps Leo's track; at the bend she gave a short
lock at the shining window she had just lett, a
thick hurried sbiver ran through the dead beech
leaves about her with a slight tremor she fac
ed straight MP the gorge, black with the uncouth
shadows of high banks. and dreary with the
sense of danger and death.
Her rapid walking kept her warm. Two.miles
further, after a steep pitch, she stopped Tor
breath. Not a motion was III the ar; the stars
hung a net of fire points that stung the gaze ;
the airs frosty sheen was IKE the warming sh'-
ter in the catnmounts eye before re sPF!hSS'
Then sharp on her ear rose a thrilling, Vbra>
tino crv. a cry of hungry rage Cor smelt blood,
a long swelling mad howl, that cut her very
hartstrIngs, froze her quick breath, and then
shivered down the gorge. Only one minute she
Dan.ed. then tottered on. SO her dread was
confirmed. the wolves were out, Now she
strained every nerve thicker and louder the
snrieking barkessaud horse snarls wreht the
sir. as turn after turn brought her nearer the
danger. By their different tones she knew that
S large pack were out. She hurried on but the
sickening feeling that she could do nothing az
most drowned her courage it seemed poss!oie
to sttract the wolves 10 herself, and-out thinSS
swan in her head.
Soon the road docended to the stream cross
ed it,and erept along the opposite bank, gradu
slly rising and stretching obliquely over a
steep descent, which anne down upon 1t from
above and shelved off precipitateiy below.
Rachel struggled on y knot of pines bur>
dened with snow guarded a sharp bend IN her
uata from the friEhtful Eearness OF fAe cries
she 1sit, sure that poiut would reveal The worst
She reached it, her lips grew white. hnt she
did not shrink. Ten rods before her one vast
sheet of ice Stretchd from far up the hili straight
" and evenly across the road, down, doWn q
hundred feet below thence IL ieaped on a steep
ledge probing the depth where ran the stream
with nIassiAe spears. IL was some twenty feel
wide. smooth and shining as glass. Some days
age there had been a thaw, and over thls sp0f,
swept clean from snow by the wind, the waters
from rain erebt, aud froze as it crept,unti! the
whole steep descent lay polished aud bearing
SCARCELY an excrescence. The wind had sweep
off this nights snow, and the space lay glitter
ing with dnuger 10 the human foot that dareC
'ts surface. % the furthe1 side OF this ice how
led the grisly herd of death For some rea
SON they would not cross, though one OLD SIN
ner ha& reached the rubicon and enarled a sole
20 the opoosite pack. Rachels eye instantly
caught all ibis, and much more.
Half way from the road to the brook below,
mufHed mass erouched on the ice, STAYED IRON
swift deStruetIeu by a sleuder OuSn sprlnglut
with a tu1t Of dead grass from she zee; tn'
mass moved slightly sac saw It's support sWa0
like a rush. Sne grew clear headed, she still
\ - -,l. ,Dl nrannYpd tn act She saw
there was dagger tina THE bush would not long
sustain its weight she must reach 1t and CIV
better support; bat Their what human 1907 coul
walk that precipit0us glass, and could reach l
| before the wolf, who, squatted on MS hauhche'
near an old pine stump, watched tne ousne
weight from a parallel p~ositioa, should spy ne
srnroach She remembered her pocket con
tanned a little slender knife with which sh
could cut footholds in the ICE. The wolves seen
cd to tear the ice POSSIBLY she might De sal
upon il. The slant of the moonlight SHOVE
her a straight line of indentuge running acfoS
the ic.. that she knew must DE the marks
Leo's feet could ftsten a tOoftold IN one
! them. she might then begin Work.
From where she was standing the snow gre
thinner aud offered, little resistance to her teeE
she started swiftly The pack canght the asei
and the sight Of Aging robes. and with fro.l'
whetted yells Sprang up the hill and raced US
crowding close upon the ice and swapping the
hungry laws. The single wolf did not compr'
hand the new turn of affairs for halt q minute
Iso long he remained qniet-that half minu'
,avet.l her. When he started, his rapld ieai
broupl,t him into the road just as Rachels ~
inc foot struck into a print of Leo,s foot upo
,Lee ice N at she had kept steadily in her ey
and her cIs ak futtered but a few lnches 1fo
the snan of Itis disappointed jaws. -.
She crouchs d AID piled her knife the lltt
brodo mode I'm t slow progress. Her mltten
.roublad her s,te pulled them off alternate
- With a h are hand as long as it couI
ondnra fba cold. She Clipped a little hole
ioa then mt her he's in it and made anothe
and so on. Presently she stopped to rest; 81
looked at Hugh for the first time since she d
gan her work. He was catching her. she cou
see that his face was white ana working WI
sharp anguish. Hardly loader than a Whlep'
she spoke:
"Hughi'
"Rachel!' -,
It's a long way down there WIZ 'ne Ou'
hold you half an hour more?' =,
Il think so. But God save 20 u Kachel WI
untoward fate has sent You here I" oe WI
met 50.
Hush, Hugh, l see your pistols y ZIG a ,'t
from you the case they are IN has ahght
the ice. By AMI by l can get uhem IL 9oee
My fingers are frozen stiff cannot L
them
You shall show me how
Rachel achieved another rod in silence.
Hugh are you hurt?
No, darling
'Yoa can talk, then. Why don't she wolve
come upon the ice?
The lank cowardsssre afraid or slipping.
That hoary dog that nearly caught you spran
upon Leo's launches just as the horse strue
the ice Leo stumbled ard shook US both OF
I stopped here, aud the VOLTS foany tongu
touched my bare HAND as he shot past mellow
over the precipice. Somehow he saved dash
ling out his brains and re-appeared on the OF
posite side of the ice. The others took irigi
from this
! Another silence; Rachel was getting on Draw
: " but her wrists ached with cold aud tatigu
/ her fingers moved slower. The wolves prowls
up and down, scratching III the snow, fghtiI
! with one another, and at intervals splitting I'll
air with horrid cries. Now and then one wou