The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-04-24


q wolf. But / was already behind tree,
and for the fourth time l fired. With
his eyes starting out of his head, my
deadly enemy staggered; the cimeter fell
from his hand, he sank, with slight
grosn, to the earth.
I turned away with the reflection,
"Where am l now ?" In the forest"
was the answer. Gam | far away from
my company ~ "Heaven only knows
How got rid of my enemies | have re-
lated, but was not yet of danger.
Standing in that fathOmless forest, l
did not know that | was nearer to my
companions or those dreadful blood.
hounds who, il they met me. would hew
ne to pieces with their swooping blades
Meanwhile the sun began to sink, and
it became darker and darker in the
forest. An oppressive silence reigned
on all sides; not a breath stirred-no
sound of bird or animal. 1t was quite
impossible to find my way in such 8
place. Vainly | took out my compass
and tried to adjust it to our position l
put it back into my pocket no wiser
than before. Nothing but some happy
chance would again bring me into the
right track.
Commenting my soul to the Creator,
I turned toward the four cardinal
points. The west seemed to attract me,
I felt as If a sacred power drew me in
that direction-as if an inward voice
said, There you will find deliver.
ance."
began with great strides to go in
westerly direction. Bushes, brambIes,
reed-like grasses stood in my way, but |
overcome all obstacles the sensitiveness
occasioned by peaceful life had left me.
What to me now were the sharp
brsmbles which tore my clothes and
pierced my flesh Soon the twilight
deepened into night; l could hardly
distinguish the trees; and only the stars,
which looked sorrowfully down from on
high, seemed to assure me that / was
vet on earth. In this darkness l wander
ed about, from time to time stopping
and listening for human voice, but all
was still.
Suddenly I remarked, notwithstsnd-
ing the darkness, through esp in the
foliage, the form of bill or distant
mountain. 1 could hesr nay heart beat.
/ began anew to run. La another half
hour l felt ! was ascending q mountain,
the bushes became thicker, and there
were no trees. Like hunted animal 1
pressed ON, crept, climbed, until I reached
the summit. Then, and then only, l
breathed freely.and deeply; the feeling
that I could at least look around me
made me unspeakably hsppy. But the
night night reigned here also, and
shut out all signs of my companions.
Ia is that smoke or fog7 Do my eyes
eyes deceive me?
For a long time l stared in this direc-
ton, hardly daring to breathe, and the
longer 1 looked the brighter shone the
spark of hope, which fear had already
nearly extinguished in my heart.
It was no fog. il was smoke
I had soon descended the mountain
and re-entered the forest, keeping stead
lastly in the direction of the smoke, for
quarter OF sn hour longer. l cons
tinued running on, hoping, longing to
see again human face. There was
noise in the bushes near me. stopped |
quickly and listened. It seemed as if
man or snimal were gliding through the
brushwood. When l stopped the noise
ceased. Who is it % / exclaimed, and
grasping my sword, but a. no answer
came, l concluded that it must be an
animal, hungry wolf or a fox. con
tinued my way. A few steps farther,
and the same sound was repeated, but
nearer. Looking quickly around, l saw
nothing, and redOubled my steps in the
direction OF the friendly smoke. Crack
the noise was close behind me, like the
noise OF falling branches. Quick as a
westher-cock, turned and saw, not far
from me, two glittering eyes, which dis
appeared Immediately ia the darkness.
" A wolf" | thought | don't know if
was right, but l felt cOnsOled even with
the idea that it was only wolf that was
pursuing me. And there, at last, was
my long-sought-for tokenI
Never in my life have experienced
such q feeling Of supreme delight as
did on sgain seeing those waves of
curling smoke mounting to the heavens.
A few steps more and l should stand
by their burning source. On on What
wss exhaustion or fatigue, when deliver
ance was so near? In the foggy dis.
lance / saw red light shimmering
through the trees. At last saw several
fires and men moving around them.
But who were these menP Were they
not perhaps, those from whom | was
fleeing? l shuddered with the thought;
but nothing remained to me but to ap-
pruach silently and cautiously near
enough to observe who they were. As
I approached within two hundred feet
of the nearest fire, noticed with ter