The Hartford herald., 1875-12-22

ceeded, and we maintained yer,
slow trot. Christina nestled in tn,
place she had agreed to occupy, ant
Rasloff and I prepared to shoot tn,
wolves.
"We.drove thus for fifteen or twent,
minutes. The pig gradually became
exhausted, and reduced his scream Il
a sort of a moan that was very painful
TO hear. I began to think that W,
should see no wolves, and return to thu
chateau without firing our gnns, wher
suddenly howl came family along
the air, and in a moment another and
another.
"There,' said Rasloff, there come;
our game, and we shall have work
enough before long,"
"a few moments later 1 cav a hall
dozen dusky forms emerging to the
right and behind us. They seemed
like moving spots on the snow, and
had it not been for their howling /
should have failed to notice them as
early as I did. They grew more and
more numerous, and, as they gathered
behind us, formed a waving mass
across the road that gradually took the
shape of a crescent, with the horns
pointing to our right and left. At
first they we're timid, and kept hun
dred yards or more behind us, but as
the hog renewed his scream, they took
courage, and approached nearer.
"By the time they were within fifty
yards there were two or three hundred
of them-possibly half thousand
/ could see every moment that their
numbers were increasing, and it was
somewhat impatiently that I waited
Raslof's signal to fire. As last he
told me to begin, and I fred at the
middle ofthe pack, The wolf struck
gave a howl of pain, and his compan-
ions, reused by the smell of blood, fell
upon him and tore him to pieces in a
moment. Rasloff fred an instant after
me, and then we kept up our firing as
fast as possible. Bs the wolves fell,
the others sprang upon them, but the
pack was so large that they were not
materially detained by stopping to eat
up their brethren. They continued
their.pursuit, and what alarmed me
they came nearer, and showed very
little fear of our guns.
"We had taken a large quantity of
amunition-more by half than we
thought would possibly be needed
but its quantity diminished SO rapidly
as to suggest the possibility of exhaus-
ton. The pack steadily came nearer.
We cut away the pig but it stopped
the pursuit only for q moment. Di-
rectly behind us the wolves were not
ten yards away; on each side they
were no further from the horses, who
we're snorting with fear, and requiring
all the efforts of the driver to hold
them. We shot down the beasts as
fast as possible, and as 1 saw our dan
ger / whispered my thoughts to Ras-
loft.
Replied to me in Spanish, which
she did not understand, that the situa-
tign was really dangerous, and We must
prepare to get out of it. 4 would
stay longer he suggested, though
there is good deal of risk in it; but
we must think of the girl, but we must
think of the girl and.not let her. sus>
pect anything wrong, and, above all,
must not risk her safety"
Turning to the driver, he said in a
CHEEKY tone:
"Paul, We have shot till we are
tired out. You may let the horses 90,
but keep them well in control"
"While he spoke a huge wolf
sprang from the back and dashed to-
wards one of the horses. Another
followed him, and in twenty seconds
the line was broken and they were
upon us. One wolf jumped in the
rear of the sleigh and caught his paws
upon it, Rasloff struck him with the
butt of his gun, and at the same in
slant Paul let the horses have their
way. Raslof fell upon the edge of
the vehicle and over its side. Luck
lily, his foot caught in one of the ropes
and held him for an instant-long
enough to enable me to seize and draw
him back. 1t was the work of a mo,
ment, but what a moment.
Christina had remained silent, sus.
pecting, but not fully. comprehending
our danger. As her brother fell she
screamed and dropped senseless to the
bottom of the sleigh. confess that I