The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-08-13
Presently the sleigh pitched cor

rem. re,
'Rolfe,,' she began, and I though
I again felt her Sframe''atremble
though her voice was ..cool& ant
steady, sthe wind does nota strike
on US just as. it did; neither did W.
]. pitch this morning as we are doing
;|now.s Have we lost the road, !? q.
by heaven, you have spoken my
thoughts, Cordeiiap. calculated
while asdamp, icy GOODNESS broke
out from every pore Of my skin
She 2shuddered again, but sand
nothing. =
1 knotted the reins and dropped
them over the dashboard. This was
why the mare had held SO hardly
;he knew better than I; L must
rust 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 arms around my
companion to hold the blankets in
|place.
Just then a faint sound reached
my startled ear. A swift shudder
shook me, and [ came near crying
aloud. Another melancholy cry.
I would have drawn the blankets
about Cordelia's head.
4 hear it, she softly whispered.
And in my, terror andagony [ drew
her closer i'm covetous clasp. =.
The sound came again. The
are heard it also, [ knew, and
then the jingling of the bells was
changed to even strokes. She had
broken from hard trot into a gal.
lop. My thoughts few to the utter
most bounds Of the earth in mo-
ment, and from earth to heaven.
I 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 banquet. .,
We were actually flying over the
ground. We could not be far from
home, but in the universal white
ness there were no landmarks, and,
alas alas every yelp was now dis
tinctly audible. The dreadful ami
mails must soon. leap upon US. !
looked from side to side, expecting
a gaunt form to spring against the
sleigh. Brown Bess, true to her.
self and to us, bore on steadily and
feetly; she knew the way.
I tried to draw Cordelia down ts
the bottom of the sleigh, but she
resisted.
Don't, Rolfe. I would rather
meet death with my eyes open, she
said, pushing away the furs from
her face. -
The darkness was as intense as j
can be in winter, and-heaven have
mercy! are heygsurrounding us
Hear the yelps ahead, their cries
the air. seemed rent with demoniae
yells, snarls and shrieklng howls:
Remembering the short handled
axe in the bottom of the sleigh, ]
threw off my gloves and seized ii
with the grip of desperation.
With my foot braced upon the
iron Of the sleigh outside, | halt
kneeled, axe ip hand, expecting
one of the dusky fends to leap each
instant upon US. The mare wavered
a moment as the sounds. grew
fercer, and then, with a shrill
neigh, leaped on again. Somehow
the wolves did not come nearer
and Brown Bess few along as
Though she knew our lives were in
her power. The awful sound grew
less distinct, and with reverend
God be praised,' l stroVe to be
calm.
'Cordelia, look! Cordelia, we
are saved!' I shouted, breakingintc
something between laugh and q
cry. oh, Cordelia, look!
The foaming mare was dashing
through a line of torches, and the
settlers sent up ajoyous shout, and
the yelping dogs dashed about in a
rchorus of delight.
Brown Bess, good lady, would
not pause; she thought the wolves
were after her still, and dashed on.
reeking with foam, to her own sta:
bic. Ny weeping aunt and excited
cousins bore Cordelia in, while |
felt more thankful to God than ]
ever had cause to feel.
But that terrible fighting Of
wolves close upon us-wbat did il
mean p I asked later, when before
the blazing fire I in vain essayed
to steady my shaking nerves. .'And
why did they not come on to the
attack Was it miracle?'
1T was one Of my stags,' explain
cd Uncle Dan. Anderson came in
and said the late unusually cold
weather had made the cowardly
creatures bold and ravenous, and
he and | heard them signaling the
pack soon after sunset. We knew
they might overtake youif you
delayed your return UNI after
dark, so we slew the stag and drove
out with him so far as we deemed
advisable, hoping that they might
find it and fight over it while you !
,,oro 1osb;n,r mast. We grew wild