The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-10-17
a Night Among the Wolves.
EY JOHN q. WHITTIER.
I" The gaumt wolf,
7 1T 1lTI!il NVTI
Seeming til" place of slaughter, with his long
Aud most offensive howl lid ask f,r f.,pl''

1t WAS a night of Ii. We had been tt
a fire quilting iroiic, about four or five mile
from onr settlement of four or five
log houses. Twas rather late, about l:
o'clock, should guess. when the party
broke up. There was no moon and dull
gray shadow of haze hung all around the
horizon, while overhead Il few pale ant
sckly looking stars gave us their dali light
as they shone thorough dingy CURTAIN
There were six Of us in company-Ilarry
Mason, and four as pretty girls as ever grew
this side of the Green Mountains There
were my two sisters, and llarry's sister and
his sweetheart, the daughter Of our next
door neigh5or. She was downright hand
some girl, THAT Caroline Allen, | never
saw her equal, though | am no stranger to
pretty faces. She was SO pleasant and kind
of heart, so gentle and sweet spoken, and
so intelligent, that everybody loved her
She had an eye as blue as the hill viole.
and her Ii ps were like red rose leaf No
wonder that Harry Mason loved her, boy
uC WlS3 tOI VIZ luu uclLuCE Vi US seen
our seventeenth summer.
Our path lay through thick forest of oak
with here and there tall pine rising its
dark full shadow against the sky. with an
outline rendered indistinct by the darkness.
The snow was deep, deeper great deal
than it ever fails Of late years; but the sur
face was frozen strongly enough to bear our
weight, and we hurried on over the bright
pathway with rapid steps. We had not pro-
ceeded far before a long howl came to our
ears. We all knew it in moment; and |
could feel shudder thrilling through the
arms that were close to my own, as a sudden
cry burst from the lips of all of us: "The
wolves the wolves -
Did you ever see wild wolf-not one OF
your Gagged, broken down show animals
which are exhibited for six-pence sight,
and children half price, but fierce, half, star
we'd anger of the forest, bowling and hurry
ing over the barren snow, actually mad with
lures which has got such frightful, fiendish
look as this animal. 1t has the form as well
as the spirit of demon,
Another, and another howl; and then we
could hear distinctly the quick patter OF
feet behind us. We all tarned right around,
and looked in the direction of the sound
''The devils are after u.s. said Mason,
pointing to a line Of dark gliding bodies. =
And so, in fact, they were, whole troup OF
them, bowling like SO many Indians in a
pow-wow. We had no weapons of any
kind, and we knew enough the nature OF
the vile creatures who followed US to know
that it woudbe useless to contend with them
There was not Il moment TO lose; the saw
age beasts were close upon us. To attempt
flight would have been Il hopeless affair."
There was but one chance Of escape, and
We instantly seized upon it.
80 To the tree! let us climb this tree" |
cried, springing forward to low boushed
and gnarled oak, which saw at Il glance
might be easily climbed into.
Harry Mason sprang lightly into the tree
and aided in placing the terrified girls in a
place of comparative secnrity among the
thick boughs. | was the hst one on the
ground, and the whole troop were yelling
at my heels before | reached the rest of the
company. There was one moment Of hard
breathing and wild exclamation among us,
and such feeling of calm thankfulness at
our escape. The night was cold and we
soon began to shiver and shake, like so
many sailors on the topmast of an Iceland
whaler. But there were no murmurs-no
complaining among us, for we could dis
tinctly see the gaunt, attenuated bodies of
the wolves beneath US, and every now and
then we could see great glowing eyes staring
up in the trees in which We were seated
And then their yells-they were loud and
long and devilish.
l know not how long we had remained in
this situation, for We had no means of as
certaining the tme-whcn heard a limb of
the tree cracking as if breaking down be-
meath the weight Of some of us; and in
moment afterwards shrek went through
my ears like the pierce of knife. A light
form went down through the branches, and
fell with dull and heavy sound upon the
stiff snow.
"Oh, God. am gone! -
1t was the voice of Caroline Allen. The
poor girl never spoke again! There was
horrid dizziness and confusion in my brain,
and spoke not, and stirred not, for the
whole thing at the time was like an ugly,
unreal dream. | only remember that there
were cries and shudderings around me per-
haps joined them and there were smoth
cred groans, and dreadful howls underneath!
1t was all over in q moment. Poor Caro-
line. She was literally eaten alive! The
wolves had a frightfnl feast, and they be-
came raving mad with the taste of blood.
When came fully to myseli:-when the
truly horrible dream went off, and it lasted
but moment-I struggled to shake off the
arms of my sisters, which were cl;pging
around me, and, could have cleared my
self, | should have jumped down among the
raving animals. But when second thought
came over me, knew that an attempt at
rescue would lie useless. AS for poor Ma
son, he was wild with horror. He had tried
to follow Caroline when she fell, but he
could not shake off the grasp of his terrified
sisters. His youth, and weak constitution
and frame were unable to Withstand the
dreadful trial and he stood close by my
side, with his hand firmly clenched and his
teeth set closely, gazing down on the dark
wrangling creatures below with the fixed
stare of maniac. 1t was indeed terrible
scene. Around was the thick cold night
and below the ravenous wild beasts were
tapping their bloody Jaws aud bowling for
another victim, -.
The morning broke at last, and our fright
full enemies fled at the first advance of day-
light, like so many cowardly murdercrs-
We waited till the sun had risen before we
ventured to crawl down from our resting
nlape. We were chilled through, every limb
was numb with cold and terror, and poor
Mason was deirous and raved wildly about
the things he had Witnessed There were
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