The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-04-27

crack nanQ. eXulteQ IN MY skill
now, as l bore my rosy companion flying
through the air, and the whip went
"crick. crack I" like double-barre 60
ing eff, and the sweet bells sung and
chimed. "Ohl sweet echoes of fai
distant wedding BELLS" thought, and
the crisp snow was split and shattered
into diamond dust under the grinding
of the hoofs and the attrition of the
"runners," and with an exhilaration ]
could not repress, I gave vigorous
Hurrah |" which conveyed itself tc
Lota, wrapped up in moose and bear
skins, and warm as toast. A sweet
girlish laugh echoed my exulting shout
=" You appear to enjoy this, Mr.. Ions
dale" she said.
elf I don't - "Crack- =
filed up the kiat 8. What a pair OF
beauties. Pbebus Apollo never drove
willy Ithacan never raised such cattle
when he cleared the stables of Rhesus
of his horses. Crick- crack |" and the
horses neigh and toss their arching
necks, and the bells are Ginning and
tinkling, and the mad, exulting rush up
lifts one like wine.
L remark to myself that the sky has
deepened into an intense, still, darken-
ing blue-darkening with strange. TN
earthly, tenebrious inkiness, betokening
coming snow storm. No matter,
Windy Gap" is right ahead, and the
welcome lights will blaze out OF the case.
ments soon, for the afternoon is wearing
On we go, but do not SEQ them yet;
and yet-but no-it's all right!
care you warm-quite snug, dear
Lota !" said ], half turning to look at
the rosy, exquisite face peeping forth
with SO much iurtive coquetry from its
encddren1ent of white cozy furs.
ooh so comfortable" she answered,
with q nesting movement, and smile
which made my heart leap joyously up
ward.
But my attention was called away to
the creeping, crepuscular inkiness of
the sky. 1t was light, yet not daylight,
but blue light-to coin a word; that
wintry hue of livid darkening steel, al
ways the precursor to fierce change in
the weather. This only made the long,
level plains of snow CLEAN with luster
the more dazzling and intense. l re-
marked this, but with momentarily di.
vided and wavering sense.
I had never (familiarly as we had
grown, and was "hopest as the skin
between your brows," as she was in
fact)-I had never said dear Lota" be
fore, and the words were yet in mine
ears like sweet old burden. I loved
her with all my heart and soul, but had
never told it. yearned to tell her so
now; but I thought it scarcely fair, not
up to the mark of my manhood, to take
what seemed an unfair advantage Of the
protection L was supposed to extend
over her. [ magnanimously resolved to
wait, choking down the words, but not
for long.
Meantime crick-crack went the
long whip, and still "cling- clapg" went
the Ginning bells, and the horses held
on with undated pace and splendid
vigor, but-where had "Windy Gap I"
gone to all this time, for time was up,
and We should be there by this2
Goodness" exclaimed Lota, all at
once, how strange the sky looks we
shall have more snow-a heavy fall,
too"
81 fear So replied; "but, MIN
porte, we'll soon be out OF it.
"We are very long, L fancy" she con-
tinued, retiectively; ''you have driven
there quicker than this before. ooh,
Heaven !" she cried, with the sudden
ness of a revelation, "can we have lost
the track 2"
The blank question warped with a
horrible jar on my most vivid fears.
Now or never was the time to be cool.
"No, 1 think not" replied, with as
sumed carelessness; "we shall come to
our landmark presently"
ga clump of fire-an old mill, further
on; Eyes," she added, 81 recollect.
But we should have passed them long ere
this. Oh, fear we are lost p
A cold chill seized me as I tacitly ad-
mitted that she was in the right. 1
could not account for my error, /. such
was the case. looked round the hori-
zon, but beheld no friendly sign; it was
only circle gathering closer and darker
the while. Suddenly my brave deer
hound lifted up his head and uttered
low growl. The horses gave a startled
swerve just as suddenly. A strange,
lugubrious, but appalling sound came
all at once from windward, wailing like
death cry--a prolonged, awful, groan-
ing ACKNOWLEDGEMENT the white CLEAN
ing snow; and then it died away.
The horses halted trembling; only the
shivering tinkle of the bells broke the
death silence that fell like an eclipse
over all.
"What is that Z" asked Lota, in
whisper, as she clutched my
arm.
1 listened. "It is the wind sighing
and dying away in the pine forest"
answered.
"And we do not go near the Forest"
she sail. 'Hark there it is again.
On, what-what can it be 2''
Again the irdescribably hideous and
lugubrious sound broke forth; clearer,
nearer 1t increased; it multiplied; the
horrible creScendo bowling, shrieking
and ravening was not that of the wind
this time.
"Mercifrl Godl" gasped Lota; "the
wolves!"
L never understood till that moment
what the concentrated essence of literal
deadly horror might mean. / never ex-
perienced the shock before or since; and
1 have in my hunting excursions faced
my danger and played out the game
To have lost the way was
terrible enough but the wolves and
Lota For an instant was numb and
dumb.
1t was true, however. The severity
of the weather, the migration or scar
city of the animals on whom these un-
clean creatures preyed, had made their
hunger raging, devouring madness.