The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1864-04-12

: 10 do 1t; and so we both went 10 worl
with a will.
lie When we at last reached the highwa,
'e again, all ready to resume our journey
u the sun vas down, and the gloom o
. twilight was upon us.
How far now, Jules 2
Two leagues, sir 7
Which in our present condition, il
equal to what three would have been be
fore the accident
L think 80, your honor J.
had just taken my seat again in the
vehicle, and julie had just gathered up
the reins for fresh start, when a sol-
tary, distant, dismal howl was borne to
our ears.
Ha ! do you hear that 2 cried Jules
do!' said /, with a sbudder.
May God be merciful to us this
nightP CALCULATED the driver, as he start
ed the horse forward, but with caution
that showed how much he feared sud
den strain upon the harness, on which,
1t might be, our very lives depended
TO understand our feelings, as we
breathlessIy listened for an answer 10
that solitary cali, it must be known that
the wolves OF that region were large,
strong daring and ferocious, and, al
such season of the year, with the
ground covered deep with snow, were
often sufficiently maddened with hunger
to attack any living thing, either man or
beast, more especially when collected to.
gether in formidable numbers. Tie sin.
gle howl We had heard was the night
call OF some lonely beast to his distant
and scattered companions and Just in
| proportion to the number of these calls
and replies, and the distance of the ami
mails from US, was The danger we had to
fear
For perhaps minute after the first
call we heard no answer /; and we were
just beginning to hope that none would
be given, when another dismal howl, in
different direction, iell upon our ears.
This was quickly followed by another
and another, and then by not less than
dozen, on all sides OF us, some of them so
near as 10 startle our horse, which raised
his head. with a terrific snort, looking
timdly 20 the r.. 1T and left, aud then
sprung forward a gaIlop.
Let him go! IT may be our only
chance : | said to Jales, feeling my hair
rise with horror.
Il won't save us : returned the latter,
despairlngly. Ii the beast were free
| from his traces he couldn't oulrun these
hungry devils, which are fast gathering
upon us before and behind
But as yet they may know nothing
of US ! said encouragingly, though
very far from entertaining any such hap.
py belief myself
Why. then look there and there J.
cried Jules, pointing with his whip, first
to the right and then to The left
did look and cold sweat seemed to
start through every pore, as, in either
direction | perceived an undulating shad-
ow moving rapidly over the star lighted
snow, at an angle calculated 10 resch us
at some unknown point ahead Almost
at the same moment. too heard some
yelps behind and looking back, l be
held another small body Of the furious
animals in the road, even nearer to US
than the others, coming forward like
pack of hounds in full chase.
'Mercful God = | cried are we
doomed 10 die in this manner Faster
Jules-faster put the horse to his ut
most lit is our only chance !!
'Don't you see he's doing his best
your honor ? and that he can't gain an
inch on these devils q
Ii was true our gallant horse. as
frightened ms ourselves, was al ready on
a dead run, bounding us over the frozen
snow at a terrific aud danger Gus rate.
And yet to what purpose Slowly, but
steadily, the two undulating shadows, to
the right and left, were closing in to the
central line 4; and the yelping crew be
hind had gained on us little, and might
: have come up 10 US at once. only that
e the natural cowardice Of the brutes KEEP,
: them atarespectable distance while their
Q numbers were so comparatively few.
o How far now TO Carlsbad. Jules q
: More than league, sir 7
i Shall we ever reach it?'
s Heaven knowsl Ii the horse can
g hold out, If the harness don't break, il
the cutter don't upset, and IL the brutes
J! don't attack us. there's a chance
Is there no place on the way where