Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-11-03

south. be knew what that meant. 1t
was the cry of the advance guard of a
pack of wolves.
The bowling sounded near, and
came swiftly nearer, as though the
wolves had found his tracks and scented
their prey. Old Bob trembled in every
limb, and seemed powerless to move.
Allan realized that he could not, before
dark, reach home through the drifts
ahead, and the increasing cold of the
advancing night would render refuge
in a tree-tsp probably as deadly as an
encounter with. the pack.
Presently there came u cry, shriller
and sharper than before. and Allan.
looking back, saw great, lean, hungry
gray wolf burst from the underbrush
into the road, followed by dozens more /;
and in moment the road behind him
was full OF wolves, open-mouthed and in
keen chase Their yells now seemed
notes of exultation, for the leader of the
pack-the strongest, feetest, hungriest
one among them--was within a dozen
yards of Allan, who was now riding faster
than ever old Bob had gone before or
ever would &C again. Excitement made
the lads blood boil in his veins, and he
determined to show fight. The moon
had risen, and the scene was almost as
light as day. Now he could count the
crowding host of his enemies, and just as
he broke from the forest road into the
old clearing, he turned in his saddle and
fired. The foremost of the pack rolled
over and over the rest gathered around
and tore their leader in pieces.
By the time they resumed the chase,
Allen was hundred yards ahead with
his rifle loaded. He determined to make
running fight of it to the hill, where he
was sure of meeting his father, or would
take to tree and shoot until help came.
This had hardly flashed through his
brain when, right ahead of him de-
tachment of the pack sprang into the
road and answered with double yells the
cries of the rest coming up behind. The
horse wheeled suddenly, almost unseat-
ing Allan, and dashed across the clear
ing, toward the wood but he had not
taken dozen bounds when wolf
sprang upon him. Old Bob reared and
fell, pitching Allan nearly twenty feet
ahead, and was covered with wolves be-
fore he could regain his footing. That
was the last of poor old Bob.
But Allan What of him? When he
recovered from the effects of the shock,
he found himself over head and ears in
snow. He had no idea where lie was, but
struggled and plunged in vain endeavors
to extricate himself, until at last he
broke into a space that was clear OF
snow, but dark as Erebus, damp and
close. Feeling about him he discovered
over his head logs resting slantingly
against the upper edge of a pit, and then
he knew that he was in the cellar of the
old house his father had built, and which
had been burned down nine years be-
fore The cellar was full of snow, ex-
cept at the corner rooted over by the
fallen logs, and Allan, bursting through
the snow into the empty corner, was as
secure from the wolves as though seated
by his fathers fireside. 1t was not near.
ly as cold in there as outside, and he
found a dry spot upon which he lay
down to think.
He was in no danger of freezing tO
death, his food would keep him from
starvation week at least, and A llan con.
cluded that, with the first glimpse ol
dawn, his father would be in search OF
him, and, following the tracks, find old
Bob's bones, and quickly rescue him
from his predicament. He reasoned
wisely enough, but the elements were
against him. Before sunrise furious
storm of wind and snow had completely
obliterated every trace of horse, rider
and wolves.
At home, as the night wore on, the
anxiety of the family had increased
While they were watching the gathering
storm, they heard the long, dismal how
of the wolves coming over the hill. The
chill of fear that they should never see
the boy again settled down upon all theil
hearts. until the house was as dreary
within as the winter waste and gloomy
forest were without.
Meanwhile the brave youth was SOUND
asleep, dreaming as peacefully as though
snugly resting with his brother in hi.
warm bed at home. He slumbered OF
unconscious of the raging storm without
and did not wake till late the next fore
noon. 1t took him several seconds tt
realize where he was and how he came
there, but gradually he remembered hi
ride for life, the falling OF his horse, lii
struggle in the snow, and his breaking
into the protected space where he lay.
The storm lasted all day and far int
the succeeding night. Allan ate slightly
quenched his thirst with few drops O
water obtained by melting snow in tn,
palm of his hand, aud began casting
about for means to get out. He sooi
found that to dig his way up through thu
mass of snow that filled the cellar wa
beyond his powers. III he could hav'
made succession of footholds, the tasl
would have been easy; but all his effort
only tended to fill his retreat, withou
bringing him nearer the air. Al
800 as he saw this, he gave himself vi
to calmly waiting for help from without
The second morning Of his imprison
ment broke clear and cheerful, and Mr.
Devins set out to search for traces OF hi
boy. He visited the Inmans' and learn
ed the particulars OF Allan's stay ant
departure, then mournfully turned hi
face homeward, his heart filed witt
despair. When he emerged from tn
forest into the clearing, he met the In
dian who had visited him few day
before, and he told the red man o
Allan's loss. The Indian stood me
,nent in deep thought, and then asked
"No horse, no boy back there |?
pointing to the road just traversed b.
Mr.. Devins.
"No. have looked carefully, and
there had been trace left by the recer
!; storm / should have detected it,"
"Ugh well, me come over the hill
nothing that way either then the
here"
"Why do You think SO ?"
"Ah me know wolves. When ALA