The Hickman courier., 1874-04-04

New Years eve some thirty years ago
and we were keeping it right merrlly
at the old manor-house of Stor Aswan,
the home of my childhood, as it had
been that of nay forefathers for many
generations The pleasantest spot IN
all the world, thought, and still think,
| that quaint Norwegian homestead, with
| its buff walls and birchbark roof, which
succeeding summers had rendered YER
| daht with an evergreen thatch OF moss
and lichens. Just now, however, this
was not visible, for snow lay thickly
upon it, as it had laid for weeks past,
not only there, but upon all the country
round.
| 1t was the hardest winter there had
been for fifty years-so the old folks
| said-and they foretold its continuance
| for some weeks longer.
| All this, however, did not affect any
| of our party, who were all Morse men
| and maidens born, used to the cold,
full of health and spirits. Ella
| widest of that mad circle who Aed as
| sembled at Stor Aswan that Christmas
| tide to do honor to my betrothal to Erie
Jarl, the lover of my youth, ere long to
| be my husband. AS soon as the birch
trees put forth their first green tassels,
in the early springtime, l was to leave
surrounded by kinsfolk and neighbors,
we were keeping this last anniversary of
my sisterhood in goodly fashion.
So in dancing, feasting and merry
making the week sped, until a few hours
more would see us all scattered in vari-
QUO directions, to meet again we knew
not when and where. For the last day,
| therefore, we had reserved the chief
pleasure, the crowning point of all our
enioyment-a sleighing and skating
party to Stor Aswan, mountain-en-
| circled lake some ten miles further
north, the same from which our home
stead derived its quaint Runic name.
This was to be or vail or greeting to
| the New Year-our welcome to the in
coming guest.
Brightly daHned the eventful morn
| ing, clear as ones heart could desire.
Blue was the sky as sapphire, whilst the
| freshIy-falIen snow sparkled and shOne
as though strewn with living gems. All
nature seemed rejoicing like ourselves
at the advent of another year, and one
already so full of promise. Without.
the sleigh bells tinkled and chimed
merrily, making the frosty air ring again
as the gayly caparisoned horses paved
and shook their heads, impatient as
their owner to be of. At length we
last of the party for of course he was
my charioteer.
OF that day I shall nR speak we
were all young and in wilA spirits, and
some of us in love. /, blue-eyed, gold
en-haired Ella Bieorn, was the acknowl- |
edged belle and queen of the party,
and Eric, my lover, the most stalwart |
youth of the countryside. But all |
things, even the pleasantest, must come |
to an end. So when the shades of even |
ing began to fall heavily, merging earth, /
sky, and water into one gray leaden |
cloud, we began our journey home /
wards. Tired out with my exertiOns, |
as soon as we started 1 nestled down /
amongst the soft furs in the sleigh, and /
rocked by its easy motion, soon fell fast /
asleep. How long 1 slept l know not, |
but when 1 awoke it was showing fast, /
end the darkness so intense that we |
could not see a hands breadth.before us
Il called to Eric, who was driving, and
asked if all was well. To which the an
swer came back, half deadened by the
thick atmosphere, "All well, but for
Gods sake try to keep awake"
So I aroused myself and sat up, know
ing that sleep in that bitter night air
might mean death. OF any other fear
1 had no thought, when suddenly 1
heard another sound come up with the
wind-a long drawn hollow moan. Twice
or thrice it came at intervals, this weird
noise, each time nearer and more dis
tinct The third time the ponies also
heard it, for they sprang AOrward with
an impetus that almost sBbok me out 1
of the carriage. Frightened, 1 said to |
Eric, "What, oh what is this ?" And |
the answer came back, short and stern,
"The Salten wolves =
Then began that terrible chase 'tfor |
dear life" which, though we should /
both live for twice our allotted an, |
we could never forget. Swiftly we sped |
along, our steeds impelled by a terror /
as great as our own, until they appeared |
almost to fly. Breathlessly we heark- !
ened, hoping even yet to leave the enc |
my behind. But no, they travelled with |
us, gained upon us, nearer and yet near |
er-their cry growing perceptibly from
an uncertain vague voice of the dark |
ness into the Enthusiastically wolf-ike |
note. We knew from the direction from !
whence it came that they were tracking |
us by scent; so now our last poor chance |
lay in the darkness of the night and our /
nearness to Stor Aswan. Eric still held |!
the reins, and I covered down at the |
bottom of the sleigh, and prayed more |
earnestly than had ever yet done in |
my life Z" for an increase of the snow
drift or aught, even a miracle, if it |
mNht only save us.
On and on, for time that seemed in
terminable, yet might in truth have |
been but a few moments. Then the |
storm ceased, the moon emerged from /
her shelter, and we saw half a mile in
our rear dark line coming swiftly and |
steadily down upon as. In the middle
of white plain, with no nook or cor
ner visible wherein we could take re-
fuge, and still nearly a league from /
home, our case looked hopeless enough.
So our pursuers seemed to think, as
they now caught sight of us for the
first time, and lifting their blacR muz-
'Howf aof savage exaltasIo8. Scould
have screamed, too, when I heard it,
for fright was driving me half wild; it
was SO unutterably horrible to perish
thus. But glance at Eric, so calm and
steadfast, gave me new courage. ] felt
that, come what might, we should at
least die together.
Faster and faster we few, like hunted
animals, death behind us coming on
apace-a few yards more and he would
claim us for his own. Already I could
hear the rapid breathing of our foes,
seRtheir fierce eyes and white teeth,
glTtering and cleaning in the moon
light. Prompted by Eric, I threw out
the bearskin rug which protected me
from the cold For a moment they
paused, smelt at it, then on with fresh
fury after their old prey. One by one
cushions, wraps, all went over 90 the q
hungry pack, each gaining us an in
stant's precious delay. AS the last fell
from my hand the foremost wolf bound
ed forward, just missing my arm, while
his strong, cruel jaws met with pain
fully audible snap.
Tnen Eric turned and looked at me-
a lorg, loving glance-and began knot :
ting the reins to the iron side of the
driving-seat. Instinctively div1ning his :
purpose of giving his life to save mine, :
sprang forward and, clinging to him q
lrantically, I whispered: >
" Dearest, remember, we stand or I
all together 70 ;
A sudden thought, justified by our l,
lire extremity, flashed through my y y
'rain-it was at best a forlorn hone. "
quickly bent over Eric. snatched the "
uniting knife from his belt, and cut u
pose the nearest pony. With an almost az az
uman cry of pain the podA animal oaI- III