The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1872-11-26
Are you coldq' l asked, drawing Cor

Are you cold9' / asked, drawing Cor
della close to me.
"'Nothing to speak of she cheerfully re-
piled. But felt a strong shudder shake her
from head to foot.
Presently the sleigh pitched considerably,
although | had a tight rein.
Rolfe, she began, and thought again
felt her frame tremble, although her voice was
cool and steady, the wind does not strike us
just as it did, neither did we pitch this morn
ing as we are doing now. Have we lost the
road?'
"sBy Heaven, you have spoken my thoughts,
Cordelia, | calculated, while a damp, icy
GOODNESS broke out from every pore in my
skin. She shuddered again, but said nothing.
81 knotted the reins and threw them over
the dashboard. This was why the mare had
held so hardly-she knew better than |.
must trust to her instinct. In twenty minutes
on the old quarter with us. 1t was blowing
heavy. put my arm around my companion
to hold the blankets in place.
"Just then faint sound reached my startled
ear. A swift shudder shook me, and | came
near crying aloud. Another melancholy cry.
would have drawn the blankets about Cor
dela's head.
6 hear it., she softly whispered. And in
my terror and agony drew her closer in a
covetous clasp.
The sound came again. The mare heard
it, also, knew, for she gave a sudden leap,
and then the jingling of the bells were changed
to even strokes. She had broken from a hard
trot to galop. My thoughts flew to the ut
termost bounds of earth in a moment, and
from earth to Heaven. prayed for the safe
ty of my companion more than for my own
"The short cry and the long wall. Wolves
were calling each other to the banquet. The
moments fled the storm suddenly abated );
but the deadly sound grew each moment more
distinct. The wind swept by us, and died
away at the right; no snow was falling but
nearer came those terrible sounds. Every
moment we were in danger of striking some
obstacle, and of being hurled out
I'VE were actually flying over the ground.
We could not be far from home but in the
universal Wilderness there were no landmarks,
and, alas alas every yelp was now distinctly
audible. The dreadful animals must soon leap
upon us. looked from side to SIDE expect
ing gaunt form to spring against the sleigh.
Brown Bess, true to herself and to us, bore
on steadily and fleetly she knew the way
81 tried to draw Cordela down to the bot
tom of the sleigh, but she resisted.
co Don't, Rolfe. Iwould rather meet death
with my eyes open, she said, pushing away
the furs from her face
"The darkness was as intense as it can be
in WINTER and-lIeaven have mercy ARE
they surrounding us? Hear the yclps ahead,
the hungry cries; the air seemed rent with
demoniac yells, snarls and shrieking howls
Remembering the short-handed axe in
the bottom of the sleigh, threw off my gloves,
and seized it with grip of desperation.
"With my foot braced upon the iron of the
sleigh outside, half knceled axe in hand,
expecting one of the dusky fiends to leap each
instant upon us. The mare wavered mo-
ment as the sounds grew fiercer and then
with shrill neigh leaped ON again. Somehow
the wolves did not come nearer-and Brown
Bess flew along as though she knew our lives
were in her power The awful sounds grew
less distinct, and with a reverent God be
praised = l strove to be calm.
"'Cordeia, look -Cordelia, we are saved =
shouted, breaking into something between a
laugh and cry. ooh, Cordelia, look
'The foaming mare was dashing through q
line of torches and the settlers sent up a joy
Gus shout, and the yelping dogs dashed about
with a chorus of delight.
"Brown Bess good lady, would not pause
she thought the wolves were after her STILL
and dashed on, reelSing with foam, to her own
stable My weeping aunt and excited cousins
bore Cordelia in, while felt more thankful to
God than ever had cause to feel before.
.'But that terrible fighting of wolves close
upon us-what did it mean?' i asked, later
when before the blazing fire, in vain essay
ed to steady my shaking nerves. And why
did they not come on to the attack? Was it
miracle?'
go 1t was one of my stags explained Uncle
Dan. Anderson came in and said the late
usually cold weather had made the cowardly
creatures bold and ravenous; and he and !
heard them signaling the pack soon after sun
set. We knew they might overtake you if
you delayed your return till after dark and
so we slew the stag and drove out with him
as far as we deemed advisable, hoping that
they might find and fight over it while you
were dashing past We grew wild with fright
as time passed on Rolfe, and arming ourselves
with torches, rushed to meet YOU
His plan had succeeded in saving us-good
old Uncle Dan But / don't like the word
prairie at ALL"
"What became Of Cordelia, Captain"
"Cordelia? All l thought that told you
my aunt and cousins bore her into the house
in their arms.
'No evasion. Did you humbly beg her
pardon later, for vexing her in opposing her
pet theories?"
81 did that, sir I begged her pardon on
my knees told her that she had proved in
herself, by her own bravery, every good thing
she had said of her sex. -
''Did she forgive your"
''Not exactly"
ssShe was right, captain. She should have