The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-02-22

me; but before he can speak, the old
greybeard lifts his hand in gesture OF
warning. "Listenm says he under his
breath.
We rise to our feet, and stand listen
ing i'll silence. The old COssack "khOO-
tor farm house, in which we now are,
is fair specimen Of its kind. In the
centre is a vast square cattle-yard,
tianked on two sides by the kitchens
and sleeping apartments OF the cOnmu-
nifty, and cOW-hOusG; while the other
two. sides Of the square formed by wood
sheds, store rooms, Wash-hOuseS, etc.
The whole structure is surrounded by
all enormous palisade, entered by gate
of equal height and i'll the eastern an
gle of it, commanding full view of the
great waste Of snow outside, is the room
in which we are now standing, The
clouds are still hnlTying across the sky
as wildly as ever, and all without looks
dim and spectral; but the roar of the
wind lulls for Il moment, and i'll that
pause there comes from thc far distance
a long, weird, dismal howl.
"One might think" says the old man
in hOarse whisper, that those who
are not wolves are but hOWlers OF an
other kind"
The last words, and still more the
tone in which they are uttered, impress
me with creeping horror, which l can
neither explain OF shake, off; and the
next moment tile deep voice Of my host,
speaking for the first time, breaks in
with words even more omnibus: It's
time for you to 90 and watch, my lads,
and I'll do the same. Remember to
cross yourself and say prayer, one and
all; we need it when they are about"
The men nod, and file out into the
darkness like Il train of spectrcs. AS
soon as we are left alone, my host rises
and cOnfrOntS me, with a kind of stern
gladneSs in his eyes, like a brave man
on the brink Of some desperate advent
IRE.
"Pan Anglitchanin," says he, looking
me full in the face, "yOU are a Chris
tian and a brave man, and | could say
to you what IcOuld not say to those lads
yOnder. They're stout fellows as ever
were; but against, anything that they
don't understand, they're like reeds in
a spring flood. You are the man want.
The devil is broad among us just now;
will you stand by me against him"
look at the man in mute wonder.
There is kind Of eXaltatiOn-nO other
word will express it-in his look and
manner, which for the moment trans
figures and almost glorifes him; but it
is not the excitement either of delirium
or intOxication. Whatever his purpose
might be, it is plain that he has it clear
| ly before him.
"What do you want me to do, then r.
| ask I.
Il want you to come with me to-mor-
row night" answers my host in a stern
whisper, "and to keep watch for such
game as you have never yet fired at in
all your travels. Will you do itw
"COme, that sounds interesting; why
not try it tonight"
TchistarenkO answers merely by
pointing through the window; but one
glance in that direction suttices. In
| that storm no man could live for half
an hour; and its fury seemed to be in
lSreasing.
Tomorrow be it, then,'' responded
/. "But what's this wonderful play
that you're going to introduce me to2''
"Listen !! replies the Cossack solemn
| ly. "YOuEnglish hearOf strange things
in your travels-did you ever hear Of a
'YOv-kulak.' 2"
L gave an involuntary start. Dlmly,
| like half-forgotten dream, there comes
| back to NE at the sound of that name a
weird image Of underlined horror but it
is,in vain that / strive to attach any dis
tinet shape to it.
"It's the name we give to transformed
men, explains my host, noticing my
puzzled look; " those to whom Satan
| gives power to take the shape of wolves
or other wild beasts, and in that form to
work mischief to those whom they hate.
These ill-deeds that our lads were tell
ing of just nOw,-do you think they
were the work of common wolves? If
L IL 4 Il,
are the work Of the VOvskulaki"
| The terrible eaTnestness of the mans
tone and manner impress me inmy own
despite; and startunconsciOusly as an
other long dreary howl from without
comes floating, amid the roar of the
| storm.
"It is not only that they devOur
horses and CATTLE" he continues, "but
they will assail Christian men-aye, and
kill them! Father Arkadi, now, the
other day-dO you think any common
wolf would have hunted him like that.
He is holy man, and therefore the
servants of the devil hate him. But
here's the difficulty that it is only as
wolves that these brHtes can be hurt OF
slain; form their human shape no one can
recognize them. But what am [ doing
to tire you with this long story, when
the most famous of the Vov-kulal1s is
an Englishman himself 2" .a
| "HoV's that 81 ask I, staring.
"Why, is not so ~ asks the Cossack,
"FeodOr Nikeltin, the courier who came
through our village from Peter (St. Pc
tersburg} the other day, told us Of a IA.
nous EnglishmaD, DR.. Davidovitch
/ ILivenshton, who had the power OF
changing himself into a lion, and III
that shape went all over Africa, and
fought with another lion, and killed him
but got his own arm broken inthG fight
and how at last the.black sorcerers whose
magic was stronger than his, took hin
q prisoner; and how the empress OF
England is now sending out an army tc
rescue him." -
This matehlessly Characteristic yer,
sion of Dr.. LivingstOne's career almost
OVercemes my gravity, in spite of the
grim sOlemnity of the narrator; but the
next words make me serious enough.
"Pan Anglitchanin !! would your hear
be firm to take mans life; if you knew
him to be an evil-doer and a servant Of
Satan I" +r
'EI would not willingly shed blood,
tanswer l." but If it had to be done, rG
/ do it." ~-..--.. !
q "Listen, then y says Tchistarenko
in a stern whisper. "You were at Ii
/ govogthe other day--did you see OstaI
Goofko, the rich corn dealer, there?"
mo, the day that I was there he was
from home."
The terrible change that comes ovel
the Cossaok's face at. my answer, can
not be conveyed in words. ...-
4 He from home-andI know where
If it please God, his time is Gomez say
Tc1listaTenkO, with the stern triumph
of d Puritan cuirassier about tt