The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-11-08

"A white gloom was let down all around
us. On and on we went. | did not speak
to the mare nor whip her; there was no
need. She was trotting like a race horse
her tail streaming over the dash board of
the sleigh.
Another hour passed. The light snow
was mounting above the runners, and driv-
ing obliquely across our laps in binding,
smothering thickness; still We we're getting
on well; hoped we were nearing home
Are you cold p l asked drawing Cor
della close to me.
" Nothing to speak Of she cheerfully
| replied. But l felt strong shudeer shake
her from head to foot.
Presently the sleigh pitched comsidera-
bly,, although l had a tight rein.
4" 'Rolfe,' she began, and L thought
again felt her frame tremble, although her
voice was cool and steady, the wind does
not strike us just as il did, neither did we
pitch this morning rs we are doing now.
Have we lost the reed?
! "'By Heaven, you have spoken my tho't
COrdelia, | ejactlated, while damp, icy
GOODNESS broke out from every pour IL my
skin. She shuddcred again, but said moth
! ing.
Il 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 she had swung around so
as to bring the wind on the old quarter
with US. 1t was blowing heavy. Iput my
arm around my companion to hold the
! blankets in place.
E'Just then faint sound reached my
! startled ear. A swift shudder shook me,
and L came near crying aloud. Another
: melancholy CIV. | would have drawn the
! blankets about Cordeia's head.
80 Il hear it, she softly whispered. And
in my terror and agony drew her closer
i'll a covetOus clasp.
''The sound came again. The mare
heard it also, l knew, for she gave sud-
den leap, and then the iingling eff the bells
were changed to even strokes. She had
broken from hard trot to gallop. Ny
thoughts flew to the uttermost bounds of
the earth in moment, and from earth to
Heaven. prayed for the safety of my COM
! panion more than for my own
''The short cry and the long wall
{ Wolves were calling each other to the ban
quet. The moments fed; the storm sud-
denly abated; but the deadly sound grew
each moment more distinct. The wind
swept by u.s. and died away at the right :;
no snow was falling; but nearer came those
terrible sounds. Every moment were
in danger of striking some obstacle, and of
being hurled out.
1--WE were actually flying over the ground.
We could not be far from home, but in the
universal whiteness there were no land
: marks, and alas alas every yelp was now
! distinctly audible. The dreadful animals
must soon leap upon us. l looked from
side to side, expecting a gaunt form to
: spring against the sleigh. Brown Bess,
true to herself and to us, bore on steadily
| and tleetly; she knew the way.
Il tried to draw Cordelia down to the
bottom of the sleigh, but she resisted.
"'Don't, Rolfe. l would rather meet
death with my eyes OPEN she said, push
| ing away the furs from her face.
''The darkness was as intense as it can
be in winter, and-Heavcn have mercy (!
are they surrounding us Hear the yelps
I rent with demoniac yells, snarls, and shrek
/ ing howls.
i Remembering the shOrt-handled axe in
7 the bottom of the sleigh, l threw off my
gloves, and seized it with grip of desper-
alton.
s.With my foot braced upon the iron of
! the sleigh outside, | half knceled, axe i'll
hand, expecting one of the dusky fieads
to leap each instant upon us. The mare
! wavered a moment as the sounds grew
! fiercer, and then with shrill neigh leapcd
3 on again. Somehoy the ,wolvefS did not
g
as though she knew our lives were i'll her
/ power. The awful sounds grew less dis
tinct, and with reverent God be praised,
/ | Strove TO be calm.
'.'Cordelia, look! COrleli?, we are saved"
! shouted. breaking into something between
n laugh and a cry. oh, COTdeha, look
'"The fuaming mare was dashing through
! a line of torches, and the settlers sent up 4
! joyous shout, and the yelping dogs dashed
about with a chorus of delight.
Brown BesS. goodlady, would not pause;
she thought the wolves were after her still,
and dashed on, reeking with foam to her
own stable. My weeping aunt and excited
cousins bore CoTdelia in, while | felt more
thankful to God than | ever had cause to
feel.
g But that terrible fighting of wolves
close upon us-what did it mean?' | asked
later, when, before the blazing fire, l III
vain essayed to steady my shaking nerves.
And why did they not come on to the at
tack? Was it a miracle? p
. 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 sunset. We knew that 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 deemed advls-
able hoping that they might lind and hight
over it while you were dashing past. We
grew wild with fright as time passsd on,
Rolfe, and arming ourselves with torches,
rushed to meet you.
ellis plan had succeeded in saving us
good old Uncle Dan! But don't like the
word prairie at all.
50 What became of Cordelia, captain -
90 sCordelia ? All | thought that told
you my aunt and cousins bore her into the
house in their arms.
mo evasion. Did you humbly beg her
pardon later for vexing her in opposing her
pet theories p
90 4 did that, sir. / 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 you?''
''Not exactly"