The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-03-19

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the talk among the women in the dress
ing-room mt the elders, had been about
the wolves and their doings, and both
the girls were well satisfied with the
forethought which gave them an armed
escort.
The first few miles We're quickly
skinned over, Jim Cakes, with his
lighter load, gaining 30 steadily that he
was half the time out of sight, ahead, IN
the windings of the road. The fences
were few and far between, and much of
the way was through the open and now
leafless forest.
Whatever may have been the current
of talk between jim and Maggie, it was
suddenly brought to disastrous termi-
nation before they had got half way to
their destination.
A little rise there was in the road, and
n rough jolt over it, and, as the quick
strain came, snap went the fastening of
the thills TO the cutter.
Jim jerked upon the reins, but those
in turn gave way, and the now free and
frightened horse bounded homeward,
leaving the disconsolate couple sitting
helplessly in the cutter.
A moment of silent dismay followed,
though jim had sprung out into the
snow. As he stood, however, gazing
after his runaway horse, his ears were
saluted by n strange, long-drawn, mourn
full sound, that came ominously through
the stiffness of the woods, and then
seemed to be taken up and repeated again
and again.
"Jim," exclaimed Maggie, whats
that What can it be 2"
Jim's face was deadly white in the
moonlight, and he hesitated for a mo-
ment before he replied:
" Maggie Galbraith, that was the howl
of wolf, and it sounds as if there was II
pack of them"
Jingle, jingle, came the swift, jangling
bells behind them, and in a moment
more Harry Mapleson' cutter was along
side.
1.-The wolves Maggie-the wolves
don't you hear them p cried Annie.
"Oh, Annie and our horse is gone, "
returned her sister. What shall we do!'
"Quick, Maggie" here interrupted
Harry Mapleson. "There ism 'tamoment
to lose. Jump in here with Annie, and
drive on home. Out of that, jeff we
men must stay and fight it ont, but the
girls will have good chance to get IN
safe.
Maggie's motions may have been slow,
but before she could answer, Harry had
caught her up, and put her down again
i'll his own seat.
Drive, now - he exclaimed, ex-
citedly. Tell the Squire to call out the
boys, and come for us, but do you two
hurry in
What :" cried the girls "leave you
here 2"
Yes" said jim, cts your only
chance, and maybe it's the best thing for
us, if you get in soon enough Whip up,
now. Good-by, Annie -
Good-by, Maggie - shouted Harry
Mapleson, and the quick jingle of the
bells rang out again, for the girls had
too much good sense to wait for more
than "Good-by, jim, ""Good-by, Harry,
and Good-by, jeff but which said
which, it would have been hard for JEFF
to have told.
Jeff's heart was shifting him terribly
for the consequences Of his practical
joke, but none the less did he come in
with Il good suggestion
1--WE can't hope TO foot it home in
the snow ahead of the wolves" he said.
"Of course not, said jim they'll
be on us before we've gone a mile. "
"Then we'd better make for the
rocks, replied jeff, " short order
Jeff sright :" exclaimed Harry eve
can back mp to the rocks and keep the
bowling devils in front of us. #"
The next half-miles walking was as
near II run us they could make it, and the
steadily nearing sound of those warning
howls was all the urging they needed,
but 1t brought them up where the road
passed near the foot of high, rugged,
perpendicular granite hedge.
Hurrah !" suddenly shouted JEFF
Let's have a fire. I've got some
matches. Wolves hate fire.
1t was desperately quick work, but Il
long pile of fallen branches and frag-
ments of trees grew rapidly near the face
of the rock, There had been no time to
lose, indeed, for, as jeff knelt in the
snow, over handful of dry twigs he was
coaxing into blaze, his companions
could already distinguish among the for
est shadows the dark, grisly, crouching,
bounding forms OF their dreaded assail-
ants
" Hurry, jeff, blaze her up :" shouted
jim Cakes.
Heavens and earth, what lot Of
them ~ exclaimed Harry.
jeff sprang to his feet, but his work
was not accomplished till he had lit the
pile in a dozen places. Merrily the dry
birch and hickory bark caught the hot
tongues of the curling flame, but before
the heavier wood could be kindled, the
forest glades around them seemed to
blaze with fiery eyes.
Bang-bang-bang.
" One barrel at a time :" shouted
Harry. 'Always keep one back. "
The first charge of the starving, raven
Gus pack had been fierce one; but the
rafting storm of buckshot checked it for
a moment. Over rolled three of the
monsters, only to be instantly torn to
pieces by their fellows but even that de
lay saved precious time, and gave n
chance to load up again.
"There was never such a wolf-bec i'm
these woods BEFORE" said jeff. as he
rubbed his shoulder after the kick il had
received from Elder Moseley's awful p1ln.
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