North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1865-02-15

mentally resolving that the logs should be re-
moved to prevent further accident. She
turned to retrace her steps, out the sight
that met her eyes froze her with horror to
the spot,
Confronting her on the bridge, not six feet
distant stood an enormous wolf, gaunt and
boIy with hunger, his eyes blazing like live
Goals through mirk and gloom. his hot, fetid
breath scorching the very air she breathed.
a low growel Of intense satisfaction stir
red the air, answered by the growl of fifty
more of his kind, helonging!to the pack in
another moment they would be upon her.
Without an instances thought of the con-
sequences, Martha obeyed her first impulse,
and struck the log with her foot, exerting all
her mad strength in the blow. The frail
fabric tottered, the soft earth gave way, there
was breath Of awful suspense, and then the
bridge went down with a dull plunge into
the waters beneath The sharp claws OF
the wolf had already fixed on the scant veg
citation Of the rock, and he held there a mo
ment, struggling with ferocious strength to
gain a foothold the next he slid down into
the caa5 m, u,terDg wild howl Of Gisap-
pointed rage.
Martha sank on her knees md offered up
a ferVant prayer Of thanksgiving f5r her es-
cape; but simultare Dusty with the heartfelt
amen" there came a dread rccoection.-'
The bridge formed the only connecting link
! % ba Int nj 4,
That was severed True, she was not
more than twenty feet distant from the shore
ot The river, bat she might as we'll have been
thousands Of miles outn the ocean. The
water was deep, and it ran with almost in
conceivable rapidity, forty or fifty feet below
her, over rocks 50 sharp and jagged that it
made her shiver to look over the brink.
Her only hope was in her husband
Should he return at the expected time, they
might still be alive; but if by accident he
should be detained beyond that time She
closed her eyes, and besought God for pro-
lection and help.
Cold and hungry, and drenched by the riv
cr, Charlie began to cry for home She could
bear anything better tLan that. She took
off her own garments to fold around him.
and hell him to her breast and sang him the
sweet cradle songs which had so often sooth-
ed him.
But the fierce howls. Of the wolves, and
the sulIen thuniers OF the river. filled his
lille heart with terror, and all the long dark
night tirough, be c!ung 10 her neck, Sleep
iessy crying to 60 home to prpa.
Day dawned at last, the pale sun swim
ming through a sicl,ly sky, the pallid fore
cast Of a storm. Weak and faint from hun.
ger. and suffering intensely from cold-for
summer is no bearer of tropical smiles in
that inhospitablc cline Martha paced back
and forth the narrow limits of the rock -
Noon came-the faint sun decIincd-it was
night agian. A cold fog sank down over the
mountain, followed by a drizzling rain, which
before morning changed to perfect .deluge
The river rose fearlulIy, foaming milk white
down the gorge, filling the air with thun-
dcring roar, like the peal of an imprisoned
earthquake,
gray rain, and ashen white mlst-not a ray
of sunshine.
A new fear rose in the heart of Martha
Warren, The turbulance Of the stream
must have swept away the bridge over
which her husband would cross on his re-
turn, ard he would be detalned-for DAYS,
may be for weeks.
She gave up all for lost, Strongly and
! fearfully was she tempted to fold her child
in her arms and plunge into the chauldron
beneath, and thus end all her fear doubt, 1t
would be better, she thought. than to suffer
that slow, painful death of starvation But
on those who do selfmurder.
Towards night lost robin, beaten about
by the storm, stopped to rest a moment on
the rock Martha seized upon him and rent
him in twain, with almost savage glee, for
her child to deyour Iaw-she, who three
days before would have xept at the sight of |
a wounded sparrow.
Another night and day-like the other,
only more intensely agonzing. Martha
Warren was sul enlv Indifferent now suffer.
ing had passed every nobler feeling. Char
lie han moaned for supper-to weak and
spent to sit up, he was lying on the rock,
his head in her lap, his great eyes fled on
her face.
She tore open vein in Ter arm with her
scissors, and made him drink the blood -
Anything, she said to herself to calm the
wild. wishful yearning of his eyes.
The boy raised he sat up, and peered
through the darkness.
Mamma" he said, papa is coming l
felt him touch me 2"
She wept at the mock cry. and drew The