Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-01-29

the commissioner came by in his sledge
and took him down -
But remark l at length, {" are your
hands numbed, then, that you let them
ravage this way, without warming their
porridge for them? Surely four Cossacks
are match for a dozen wolves any day"
Young Alexey's eyes flash fire at this
taunt, and he opens his mouth to reply.
For a moment, | hope that the reproach
may pique him into divulging the mystery
which has begun to provoke me; but be-
fore he can speak, the old graybeard lifts
his hand in a gesture of warning. Las
ten % says he, under his breath
We rise to our feet, and stand listening
in silence. The old Cossack :. khootor"
(farm-house), in which we now are, is
fair specimen of its kind. In the centre
is vast square cattle yard, hanked on two
sides by the kitchens and sleeping apart
ments of the community, and the stables
and COW houses while the other two sides
of the square are formed by wood-sheds.
store-rooms, wash-houses, etc, The whole
structure is surrounded by an enormous
palisade, entered by gate of equal height;
and in the eastern angle Of it, commanding
full view of the great waste of snow out
side, is the room in which we are now
standing. The clouds are still hurrylng
across the sky as wildly as ever, and all
without looks dim and spectral but the
roar of the wind lulls for moment, and
in that de.d pause there comes from the
far distance long, weird, dismal howl
One might think" says the old man
in hoarse whisper, " that those are not
wolves, but howlers OF another k271d."
The last words, and still more the tone
in which they are uttered, impress me with
creeping horror. which | can neither ex-
PLAIN nor shake off and the next moment
the deep voice Of my host, speaking for
the first time, breaks in with words even
more ominous 8" It's time for you to 90
and watch, my lads, and III do the same
Remember to cross yourselves and say a
prayer, one and all we need 1t when THEY
are about.
The men nod, and file out into the dark
ness like a train Of spectres. As soon as
we are left alone, my host rises and con
fronts me, with a kind of stern gladness
in his eyes, like brave man on the brink
of some desperate adventure
e Pan Anglitchanin," says he, looking
me full in the face, " you are Christian
and a brave man, and | can say to you
what | could not say to those lads yonder
They're stout fellows as ever were but
against anything that they don't under
stand, they're like reeds in a spring food
You are the man | want. The devil is
abroad among us just now; will you stand
by me against him ?"
look at the man in mute wonder There
is kind of exatation (no other word will
express it, in his look and manner, which
for the moment transfgures and almost glo-
rifles him but it is not the excitement
either of delirium or intoxication. What
ever his purpose might be, it is plain thai
be has it clearly before him.
What do you want me to do, then p
ask l.
& l want you to come with me tomorrow
night, answers my host in a stern whisper,
q and to keep watch for such game as you
nave never Stt uttU dI VII all (oui t4dNO'c
Will yon do it ?"
' Come, that sounds interesting why
not try it tonight ~
Tcbistarenko answers merely by point
ing through the window but one glance
in that direction sufces In that storm
no man could live for half an hour and
its fury seemed to be increasing.
Tomorrow be it, then" respond |
g But what's this wonderful game that
you're going to introduce me to p
Listen - replies the Cossack soemnly
" You English hear of strange things il
your travels-did you ever hear of {
, Vov-kulak p"
give an involuntary start. Dimly
like half-forgotten dream, there comes
back to me at the sound of that name I
. weird image of underlined horror but i
is in vain that | strive to attach any dis
tinct shape to it.
It's the name we give to transformed
! men," explains my host, noticing my puz
zled look " those to whom Satan give
power to take the shape Of wolves or othe
, wild beasts, and in that form to work mis-
chief to those whom they hate. These ii
deeds that our lads were telling of jus
f now,-do you think they were the worl
of common wolves If they were, shoul,
r not fear them They are the work of tn
Vov-kuak -
The terrible earnestness Of the man
f tone and manner impress me in my owl
+ despite and | start unconsciously as an
other long dreary howl from without come
q floating amid the roar of the storm.
: g 1t is not only that they devour horse
: and CATTLE" he continues, " but they Wi
t assall Christian men-aye, and kill them
t Father Arkadi, the other day-do you thin
; any common wolf would have hunted hin
, like that? He is holy man, and there
{. fore the servants Of the devil hate hin
n But here's the difficulty that it is only a
d wolves that these brutes can be hurt c
: slain for in their human shape no on
II can recognize them. But what am | doin
G to tire you with this long story, when tn
e most famous of the Vov-kuIaks is an Eng
t lishman himself ?'
o How's that p ask / staring.
Why, is it not so ?" asks the Cossact
IS looking at me with an air of surprise
I" Feodor Nikeltin, the courier, who cam
IS through our village from Peter (St. Peters
: burg) the other day, told US of famou
t Englishman, DR.. Davidovitch Livenshtol
e who had the power of changing himse
rs into lion, and in that shape went all owe
S Africa, and fought with another lion, an
killed him, but got his own arm broken
s. the fight and how at last the black so
1t cerers whose magic was stronger than hi
< took him prisoner and how the empire
y Of England is now sending out an army
re rescue him."
This matchlessly characteristic versio