Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1875-11-25

i destined 10 De promptly renewed, sine
as he drove past the low boundary fent
of the Counts gardens he heard b
name called, and saw Annette Galitzi
Q herself come running toward him fror
amid the darkling clumps of shrubs
Her dark hair was hanging loosely owe
} her shoulders, and her little feet in thei
dainty Paris shoes, sank at every step i
; the deep snow, making it evident ths
in her alarm she had darted from tn
burning manor house, having merel
.. the time to snatch the short hoode
cloak, lined and trimmed with costl
fur, which she wore.
eMr. Marston- Edgar !" .sh +, exclaim
ed, with terrific earnestness. "Oh, pray
save me ! Take me with you before
they seek me out to kill me- feel hal
dead already, at the very sound of thei
savage shouts and trampling feet. Papa
thank heaven, is safe at Vasilkof, where
he and my dear mother went but yes,
terday, leaving me here alone with the
German governess and when the peas
ants broke in, Madamoiselle Herzer
thought of nothing hut her own safet@
and fed into the woods, and To
BY this tine Marston had. spTpg nro-
the ground. fastened the reine r. effort
| jecting bongb. and by yigcfios os the
! had succeeded in tearing u bi;sb . oar
- -, ro,,sb IL ,,fo 70 az t, Ter figure might
,,a a, - w iieL -. q and Annette was
saate, ISL : , liai "a the Aiedge, speeding
TanidI,, . P 2n., .lhcni the pillsged castle.
tTha' resi aSSiihich had hitherto traversed
a cnIt;assad district, at This point pluBg-
cd mt drearY tract OF forest land, SO
tbst The black pine trees soon barred out
Tie light of the dying day, and little
could be aeen except the white Snow
that cleaned from batweea their poles.
A chilly breeze sprang. up, and the
evening grew pereeptibly colder, but the
sledge was well provided with wraps,
and Edgar was careful 10 draw heavy
furred peIisse around the trembling form
of the young Countess, while, ia fond
and soothing words, he strove ts calna
her agitatRd nerves. She was safe.
Within an boar or two he should be able
to place her, on their arrival at asll-
k0f, under the care of her parents, and
that. too, before the alarm of the revolt
of the setfs should have spread itself,
The, horses went weil--the distance was
triainG, End. ..-l .... ....
What interrupted Edgar,s speech was
fierce, snarlIng cry, accompanied by
the quick pattering of feef AMONG the
snow and withered leaves and then a
lone drawn, whining howl that seemed
to issue from fifty throats, while dark
objects began 10 glance phantom-il6e,
between the trees. H..
evolves, wolves - cried Andsette,
with shrek of terror, but already the
aGrighted horses had set off at q mad
gallop, awervibg from side to side OF the
road In a nasnsr that threatened TO up
set the sledge Again there burst forth
| that horrid cry and Marston sxeTted
| his skill and strength in maintaining
I mastery over the snorting horses. .Annl-
cite, looking fearfully back, announced
! the hawthorne tidings that they We're
pursued. ~. ...... ....s
siYUu must be ceof, dearest one, now.
fur both our sakes-for niue sad the
young Englishman, as he cast glance
at ths dark specks dotttng the snow
"You can ariye well, know Only
keep the horses in TIE 1nGd and all VIII
yet be we'll"
AS the young Countess took the
i reine, Edgar took his trusty rifle, an6
! levelled it with deliberate aim al the
foremost wolf, pow bounding Tar Setort
the rest. The huge brute rolled over Oh
the crimson. STOW, with cry OF rage
aud pain that was answered back by the
hurrying pack aud then succeeded
: hideous medley Of confused sounds,
followed by a period of silence.
shave they given up the pursuit z
! asked Aaniette With white lips, ss
/ Marston reEQa3esl b. piece il.
4 enc. no." answered TIE y09pg man,
shaking his bead sEfhe cfeatures nave
/ rot paused, as Is iheir custom, 10 VS.
troy their wounded companion. u Is =,
but an. irstanls breathing lgle, WEFca =
Il He fred Ia;i barrels as, hs> spo4Se INTO
eng, sEie.ls .sf ti,,. advancing Hack.
I Then ensaed "a terrible contest % speed
I between the galiant hqtses, Wild with
fear, and the ne WHY ana savage 0et!i
! zens Oh tap Russian woods Four more
! shots fir IN Edgai's rifle brought down
as maoy wolves, but they ~cre too nt5lr,
and loo eager , theiT yavening fury to be
beaten off. The iR.ips OF the road,
too, enabled some OF line leadeTG o! the
pack to gain upon the fast tiy Ing sledse,
ana with rare audacity, 10 endeaYdr
10 overleap its sides, while Edgar, Hing
! ing down the gun, siashtd at the broad
paws and hairy throats with the keen
! blade Of his heavy hunting knife, and
succeeded, though with difficulty, III dis
aiding the two foremost OF the assail-
| ants. The third, slightly hurt, skunk
! bowling away but few rods in the
rear, the clamOr of the remainder OF
the fierce drove told how ruthlessly the
chase was maintainCd d. .....t
"Tbere is but one thing to be d0ue,"
Inuttercd Edgar Marston, with q gr0ap,
! as he cast Gcspairing glance alorg the
! road, and noted That already two Of Inc
| giant pursu.rs were nearly abreast Of
| the siedgu - asilkof, as | reckon, is
| but three yersts from this, bul before we
| cover the two miles that lie between us.
! and safety, yonder yelling brutcs will
drag down our horses and nave US al
their mercy AT any cost Anuiutte must
be saved and the wolves delayed "
He rose 10 his feet as be spoke, and
looked to the right and left Close 10
the roadside on the lett grew II mighty
beech tree. Could be set his back 10
that tree, kill OF cripple the first of the
furious wolves, and swing himself up
among the lower branches, out of reach
of the rthcrs, he might have yet Il chance
of life, while the sledge would gain so
much vantage ground that il could not
easily be oFertaken Yes, The desperate
venture must be rsked
Hastily Tic ynung man kissed a
niette's cold check, AMI, bicding e. be
of good cheer, since he mad devised
stratagem that would outwit the wa YES,
he struck the StrainiDg horses sharply
with the whip, anC with his hunting
knife between his teeth, took clear
leap over the low brushwood, an1 fell
on his banda and knees at the foot of
the beech tree. ..s..
Edgar Edgar :" cried the agonized |
girl, as yainly she expended her strength |
in the effort to rein ID the terrified |
horses. On they went like wind, while |
the clamor of the exulting wolves told |
that they had desisted from the chase TO !
crowd around an easy prey.
Goaded by terror, the hOrse8 flew |
along the narrow road, which fortunate
~ at this part OF its course became |
straighter than it bad hitherto been, and |
the light sledge was hurried along as if
it had been a feather weight over the
frozen snow. A whirl of confused