Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-04-12

: wounded comrades. 1t is an in.
stants' breathing-time, which"
, lie fred both barrels as he spoke
into the thick of the advancing
pack.
Then ensued a terrible contest
: OF speed between the gallant horses
} wild with fear, and the willy and
savage denizens of the Russian
woods. Four more shots from
} Edgar's rifle brought down as many
wolves, but they were now too near,
: and too eager in their ravening
fury, to be beaten off. The wind
ing of the road, too, enabled some
of the leaders of the pack to gain
upon the fast-hying sledge, and,
with rare audacity, to endeavor to
overleap its sides, while Edgar,
flinging down the gun, slashed at
the broad paws and hairy throats
with the keen blade of his hunting
knive, and succeeded, though with
difficulty, in disabling the two fore
most Of the assailants. The third,
slightly hurt, skunk bowling away I;
but few yards in the rear, the
clamor of the remainder of the
fierce drove told how ruthlessly
the chase was maintained.
"Tbere is but one thing to be
dcno," muttered Edgar Marston,
with groan, as he glanced along
the road, and noted that already
two of the gaunt pursuers were
nearly abreast of the sledge "Vos-
illxof, as i reckon, is but three
versts from this, but before we
cover the two miles that lie between
us and safety, yonder yelling brutes
will drag down our horses and
have us at their mercy. At any
cost Annette must be saved, and
the wolves delayed"
He rose to his feet as he spoke,
and looked to the right and left.
Close to the roadside on the left
grew mighty beech tree. Could
he set his back to that tree, kill or
cripple the first of the furious
wolves, and swing himself up among
the lower branches, ont of reach os
the others, he might have yet a |
chance of life, while the sledge
would gain so much advantage
ground that it could not easily be
overtaken. Yc-, the desperate
venture must be risked.
Hastily the young man kissed
Anniette's cold cheek, and, bidding
her be of good cheer, since he had
devised q stratagem that would
outwit the wolves, he struck the
straining horses sharply with his
whip, and, with his hunting knife
between his teeth, took a clear leap
over the low brushwood, and fell
on his hands and knees at the foot
of the beech-tree.
Edgar! Edgarv cried the
agonized girl, as vainly she expend-
ed all her strength in the effort to
rein in the terrified horses. On
they went like the wind, while the
clamor of the exultant wolves told
that they had desisted from the
chase to crowd around the easy
prey.
Goarded by terror, the horses
few along the narrow road, which
fortunately at this part of its course
became straighter than it had
hitherto been, and the light sledge
was hurried along as if it had been {
o feather-weight over the frozen !
snow. Awhirl of confused thoughts
passed through the girls brain as
with relentless speed the sledge
darted on, farther and farther from
the spot where Edward Marston
had sprung out to confront what
to be inevitable death.
"For me for mel" Anettc mur-
INJURED, as, after last despairing
effort to rein in the unmaIageable
steeds, she cast q glance back at /
the white road, now cleaning, as
the sledge emerged from the wood
land into the open county, in the
first rays of the newly risen moon.
OF the dread pursucrs, she now
saw and heard nothing, but then
she shuddered as the remembrance
forced itself upon her Of the pro-
bable cause Of the disappearance
of the wolves. Her lover--could
she doubt it9--had purchased her
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