The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-09-24
THE WOLF CHASE.

these was l more passionately addicted
than that Of skating. The deep and Sc
Questered lakes of this Northern State,
flozen by intense cold, preeent wide field
to the lovers of this pastime. Often
would l bind on my rusty skates, and
glide away up the glittering river, and
wind each mazy streamlet that flowed on
! toward the parent ocean, and feel my pulse
bound with joyous exercise. 1t was du-
| ring one of these excursions that l met
| with an adventure, which even at this
period of my life remember with won
| der and astonishment.
l had just left my friends house one
| evening just before dusk, with the inten-
! tion of skating a short distance up the
noble Kennebec, which glided directly be-
fore the door. The evening was fine and
clear The new moon peered from her
lofty seat, and cast her rays on the frosty
pines that skirted the shore, until they
seemed the realization of fairy scene
All nature lay in quiet which she some
! times chooses to assume while water,
earth and air seemed to have sunken into
| TePose.
l had gone up the river nearly two
miles, when coming to a little stream
which emptied into the larger, turned in
to explore its course. Fir and hemlock
of a century's growth met overhead. and
formed an evergreen archway, radiant
with frost-work. All was dark within,
but was young and fearless, and as
peered into the unbroken forest that rear
ed itself TO the borders of the stream,
laughed in very joyousness My wild
! hurrah rang through the woods, and
stood listening to the echo that reverbera-
ted again and again, until it was hushed.
Occasionally night bird would flap its
wings from some tall oak.
The mighty lords Of the forest stood as
if Tot but time could bow them. thought
how oft the Indian hunter concealed him
self behind these very trees-how oft the
arrow had pierced the deer by this very
stream, and how oft his wild halloo had
rung for his victory. / watched the owls
as they futtered by, until almost fancied
myself one of them, and held my breath
TO listen to their distant hooting. When
suddenly sound arose, it seemed from
the very ice beneath my feet. Il was
loud and tremendous at first, until it end
ed in one long yell. / was appalled,.
Never before had such noise met my
ears. thought it moro than mortal
SO fierce, and amid such unbroken solitude,
that it seemed fend from hell had blown
an internal trumpet Presently heard
/ the twigs on the shore snap as if from the
| tread of some animal, and the blood rush.
! ed back to my forehead with bound that
made my skin burn, and felt relieved
that | had to contend with things Of
earthly and not spiritual would, as first
/ fancied. My energies returned, and /
! looked around me for some means of de-
fense. The moon shone through the open
| ing by which | had entered the forest,
and considering this the best means of es-
cape, darted towards it like an arrow
! Twas hardly hundred yards distant, and
/ the swallow could scarcely excel my des-
! perate flight yet as turned my eyes to
| the shore, l could see two dark objects
| dashing through the underbrush at pace
I nearly double that of my own. BY their
! great speed, and the short yclls. which
! they occasionally gave, l knew at once
! that they were the much dreaded grey
wolf.
| l had never met these animals, but
from the description given Of them, had
but little pleasure in making their ac>
quaintance. Their untamabe ferceness
and the untiring strength which seems to
| be part of their nature, render them OBJ
jects of dread to the benighted traveller.
with their long gallop, which can tire
The hounds deep hate, the hunters fire.
they pursue their prey, and nought but
| death can separate them. The bushes
that skirted the shore flew past with the
velocity of light, as dashed on in my
! flight The outlet was nearly gained !;
one second more and would be compare
lively safe, when my pursuers appeared
on the bank directly above me, which rose
to the height of some ten feet. There
was no time for thought bent my head
and dashed wildly forward The wolves
sprang,s but miscaleulating my speed,
| sprang behind, while their intended prey
glided out into the river.
Nature turned me towards home. The
light flakes of snow spun from the iron of
my skates, and | was now some distance
from my pursuers, when their fierce howl
told me that l was again the fugitive.
did not look back-I did not feel sorry
nor glad; one thought of home, of the
bright, glad faces awaiting my return of
their tears if they should never again see
me, and then every energy of mind and
body was exerted for my escape. was
perfectly at home on the ice. Many were
the days 1 spent on my skates, never
thinking that at one time thGy would be
my only means of safety. Every halt
minute an alternate yeIp from my pur>
suers made me but too certain that they
were close at my heels. Nearer and
nearer they came heard their feet pat
tering on the ice, nearer still, untiI fan
cied l could hear their deep breathing.
Every nerve and muscle in my frame was
! stretched to its utmost tension.