The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-11

comfit them in the least.
Reaching forward, he patted his mare
with the hand that held the reins, while
he held the hatchet in the other, and
kept his eye upon the ferocions brutes.
However, he did not use the weapon, for
the closer the wolves kept to the sled, the
less were they seen by the horse, and, as
a consequence, there was the less proba-
bility other terror becoming uncontrolla-
BILE, and her breaking asidefrom the
path.
So long as matters retained their rela-
tive position, Henreich felt that all was
going well.
1t was not long before the wolves dis
covered that there was little prospect SO
long as they remained in the track, and
they now began springing aside and at
tempting to get abreast Of the horse. In
every instance they fell behind; buteaeh
effort revealed them TO the terrified mare,
that had no blinkers, and the furious
plunges she made filled Henreich with
the greatest anxiety.
One of the wolves was very large,
straight-limbed, and showed a speed su-
perior to the rest. More than once,
when he sprang out into the snow, he ad-
yaneed nearer abreast the horse than did
the others. Upon this gaunt creature
Henreich fixed his eye, and caught the
green light that played from his eyelids.
By and by the snow became fatter,
and the huge wolf again sprang aside.
The speed of these animals is extraor-
dinary, and he gained rapidly. Hen
reich waited until he got just abreast,
when, rising in his seat, he circled the
hatchet over his head, and brought it
down with the quickness of lightning.
The head of the wolf was cleft in twain,
and with dying yelp he doubled over
in the snow, and was quickly left be-
hind
One of the dreaded animals was dis
patched; there were three left as furious
for blood as him; and these never
abated their speed in the least. Had
they got taste of the blood Of their
companion they would have gagged them
selves on him before seeking the horse;
but he whisked off the stage of life so
suddenly that they scarcely noticed his
absence.
The distance from home was rapidly
diminishing beneath the quick steps OF
the mare, which continued to carry the
sled at full speed, until the fear of over
turning became again source of ankle.
ty. Henreich, too, had learned by this
time, that these were no ordinary ami
mails with which he had to deal, but
sharp-set, fiercely courageous and deter
mined brutes, to which man or beast
would be alike welcome, their preference,
however, as manifested by their actions,
being for horsehesh.
These were not the animals to he fright.
ened away by the sight of mans house
and there was bad open space between
the outskirts OF the forest and Henreich's
home, to which he looked with no littlt
apprehension.
| They had now approached the yer,
edge of the wood, and the wolves begaI
gaining on each side. The terror-strickel
horse became uncomfortable, and, bound
ing terrifieaIly forward, caught the slet
against the stump Of tree, overturned
it, and galloped away at full run, leav
ing Henreich alone in the snow.
Before he could rise he felt the brute
clawing at his throat, but his garments
were 30 thick that he WAS saved from in
, jury; and, rising to his feet threw then
) off. His hatchet had been jerked out O.
his hands as he fell, and he looked desper
8 ate'y around for it, but it was not to b,
found.
BY this time the mare was almost ou
: of sight, and two Of the wolves wer,
4 upon the defenseless man, and the other
A deserting the animal, bounded back
, Henreich faced the foremost, and th'
e next moment was surrounded.
e The powerful man now called into pla,
e all the strength for which he was SO re
:. nowned. He struck furiously at tn,
4 leaping, snarling brutes, and flung then
e off when they attempted to cling to him
$ Had he possessed weapon, even a club
it is not impossible that he would hav
e saved himself. One blow with club il
e his hands would have cracked the skull
: of the largest brute, and with knife h
n could have ripped them open.
I But there was no hope fighting wit
|, his naked hands. His blood had alread,
t dyed the snow, and the smell and tast
of it made the brutes furious Thei
# 1.-THE, heavy bodies were hurled agains
e him as if impelled by some power ne
: their own, and finally they pulled hin
!, down.
d The sweets of this earth, the myster
of heaven, swept through poor Henreich'
mind; nay, in those brief, terrible mo
!, ments, the particulars found time to ii
/ trude. 1t is often, very often, thus i
t the moment Of death.
u He thought how his devoted Mar
l. would watch through the vigil-how hi
J mangled remains would tell his fate i
d the morning. life's despair for tn
] mother of the helpless little ones. Al
!, these things rushed through his brair
o aud he knew that he himself was in th
(, jaws of the wolves.
d Then those foul lurid eyes glared owe
; him; the Tightening of the throat fol
J, lowed, and thinking was finished. Sti
1t he struggled to release his arms--th