The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-01-20

bling with fear she watched every motion,
and at last that which she had feared oc>
Cured.
Each circle, as the wolf had franticaNy
endeayored to free itself from the ccyer-
ing, bad brought it nearer to tie fireplace,
under the mass of glowing embers. 4
howl Of frage and pain followed as il sprang
cut again upon the floor, It's covering a
sheet Of fire. Another bound and il land
ed upon the bed, where by frantic effort
it threw off It's fiery cover, and utterfng
yelps Of pain il sprang again TO The floor
and rushed around the room for 4 chance
10 escape.
The bed was all afire in a moment. and
Mrs. Sloey uttered cry of despair as tho
flames caught in every direction and
dense volume of smoke rolled up through
the aperture in the loft.
''Father in heaven, must we perish -
exclaimed the mother, as she pressed her
child to her breast, Husband! husband.
why do you not come and save your wife
AID child from ti.is horrible fate 2
No answer to this frantic ejaculation
came to the ear Of the distracted woman
save the cracking of the flames as they
caught upon the dry wood OF the cabin,
and sent their forked tongues up TO the
spot where she stood, while her ears were
filed with the sharp cry Of the wolf as il
ranged round and round in its vain en~
deavors TO escape, while ever and anon
the flames would catch upon the fur,
where il was already scorched in It's first
contact with the fire, causing it to utter
howl of agony.
Although death stared her in the face,
Mrs. Sloey was not a woman TO give up
so long as there was chance of life left
to her. AS we have already said, there
was no windows in the loft, go that every
avenue of escape was denied her The
roof was covered with hewn plank, fasten-
ed 10 the ridge pole and the top log Of the
sides by means of stout wooden pins To
remove one or more Of these was her only
chance Of escape, but to do this with her
own unaided hands seemed to be impos-
sible. Half choked with smoke and her
child clinging to her and crying with all
is power, she felt about her TO find some
instrument to aid her in the accomplish
ment of her purpose bat all she could
find was stout stick Of wood that her
husband had placed there to season for an
axe helve. Inserting this with all her
strength between the log and one of the
planks, she essayod with all her strength
TO raise ii from It's place, but without sue
cess. Finding this immovable, she tried
another with like success.
Hotter and more sitting grew the air
about her, louder cracked the flames be
low, and fercer became the cries of the
wolf, while the cries of her child rang
above all, and rendered her we'll nigh des-
perate. Hope was fast leaving her. But
one more plank remained untrled, and she
had gone the length of the front side of
the cabin. With the energy born OF de-
spair, she inserted the stick, and pried
upward with all her strength, and TO her
great Joy il moved slowly, and the well
come fresh air of heaven came pouring IN
upon her.
Inspired by hope, she attempted to
start another one by It's side, but, with all
her strength, she fonnd il impossible, and
yet the aperture was not large enough to
admit her passing through and again the
pangs of despair seized hold upon her.
Tha heat was becoming terrible, and
the opening she had made in the roof
seemed only an outlet for the smoke,
which, as it poured out, well nigh stified
her. Clasping her child, she thrust him
through the opening and holding him on
the roof for a moment, she was about TO
let him slide TO the ground, at the risk of
dashing the life from his body, when the
sound Of rapid footsteps were heard and
the next moment the we'll known voice of
her husband sounded like music in her
ears, as he came across the clearing, and
by the light OF the flames that had begun
10 break out in several places, saw the
child and the head Of his wife on the roof
"Quick, husband, for the love of God'
shouted the mother, as she still retained a
hold upon her child. And in hardly more
time than it takes TO tell it, he was upon
The roof, and with his strong arms had
torn Up another plank. and sprang to the
ground with his child, and in moment
more his wife was by his side, with heart
overfowing with joy at their escape.
The cabin was burned to the ground
with all its contents, including the wolf,
the author of all the mischief. 4 new
one was erected, and therein, in after
years, the story we have narrated was
rehearsed to those that claimed their hos
pitality.
BULLY FOR HANNAH !-"I was told TO