Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-06-06
boy sgRgDaebed the hotel They were

| penlng up that awful valley nlled their
minds. They knew in an instant the
footsteps of Fritz and the bark Of
Kaiser. The man darted down stairs
to open the door to his boy.
ssThank God you have cOmem said
he, his face pale and bis voice agitated
/" We didn't expect you at this time.
Make haste In" said he, as he began
to close the door. Fritz fingered in
the road.
81 don't know what's the matter
with Kaiser tonight; he has been won
derfuIly restless for the last hour, and
now he is shifting about the road as If
he smelt danger. Here are footsteps
in the snoW,'t iattentively examining
the ground t'WhO' has been here,
! father? Or what? Here Kaiser, Kaiser,
come here, old dog"
The dog o5eyed. The animal ana
his master had now entered the door
Of the inn. The door was Immediately
slammed 10, and the pale, terrified host
told the dreadful story to Fritz.
"My father, you have never sent
that traveller aWsyP19 ttf
"a hSve, boy. He was hunted hard
by a pack of wolves, and we dared not
open the house lest the whole pack had
come in upon u.s." and the wretched
mans teeth chartered in his fright.
't0h, father, what have you dOnei
It's disgrace to the valley, it's q dis
grace to Switzerland; it will be last
ing, lasting disgrace to our family"
And the boy rushed toward the stable
door. In q minute after, in spite of
his fathers earnest expostulations, he
had flung himself on to the unsaddled
horse, and with Kaiser at his heels,
dashed up, the Lauterbrunnea Pass.
The wreteAed parents listened in an
guish TO the rapidly sounds Of
the horse, and the second time the val
ley was left to silence, to solitude and
the night. ff H0a qniff9si .
TlTbs gallant boy rode almost wildly
on. It was long before he caught q
sound, although he often stopped to
listen, but could hear nothing above
the wall Of the Wihtry wind. At length
he fancied he could discern very far
away. beyond the Staubach, the faint
bay of wolves, sound to which. the
ears of Fritz had been accustomed from
his childhood.
He urged his horse on with greater
eagerness, hoping he might not arrive
too late to be Of use to the unfortunate
traveller. His horse suddenly swerVed,
and Kaiser dashed forward on what
turned out to be the bloody carcass of
awolf on the road. = tf6gB4a :
/ It was evident the man had had
desperate struggle with the first as
sailsnt. On went Fritz, and found the
snow upon the, road marked with a
long track Of blood stains; another ami
NAL, not dead, but disabled, lay by the
side of the road, to which it had
craWledZ Kaiser soon settled the mat
ter and left it dead.
Fritz was now in an agony Of dis
tress, expecting every moment to come
upon some trace of the object of his
pursuit. A few yards further, and un-
der the boughs Of some trees which
overhung the way, lay stretched the
still heaVing body Of the horse.
The miserable man had evidently de-
serted the horse to become the prey of
the rsvenous brates. in hopes of saving
himself; but not wolf remained near
the body of the horse; which they had
satisfied themselves with Iacerating in
the eager pursuit of its rider.
At that instant q human voice sound
ed on Fritz ear some little way fur
theron: il was clearly the note of a
person in the extreme agony of despair,
that despair which was so naturally
awakened by a solitary valley among
the mountains on a winters night, and !
the presence of hungry wolves.
The great difficulty of Fritz at this !
moment was how he was to save the |
unfortunate man, who was clinging |
hszardously to. the bough of the tree, |
which could not support him long.
Between the boy and the terrified traV-
eler was now ranged a circle of silent
wolves, for these animals, when they
feel sure of their prey, give up their
baying and their bowling.
The moment was critical; but the in
stinct and experience of an Alpine boy
told him at once what to do. He
looked at the figure upon the bough,
and gave signal of encouragement
with his hand. He was not more than
twenty yards from the tails of the
pack. ~
Kaiser remained quiet, with his tail |
between his legs; he-was dog too |
well trained to advance 8 step with
out. bis masters bidding, though ready
10 spring at the throat of any wolf, or
to DO battle with any three. ANY but
thoroughly Alpine boy would have
been in perfect perplexity at this time.
Il Before him, on the bOugh of the tree, !
was the miserable man he had come to |
save. Between himself and his object |
was circle of the most dangerous ami
mails Of the mountain or the forest.
Brave and daring IS his dog was, Fritz
well knew that in this crisis Kaiser
could do nothing. He sprang from his
horse; the horse trembled. Kaiser nev-
er moved.
In few moments Fritz had gath
cred some dry sticks upon the opposite
side; be struck spark from the flint |
he. always carried with him, and in a
minute brilliant fame illumined the |
forest, and fiared over the hungry |
band. With the instinct of the wild |
beast of the forest or the mountains Il e
wolves were startled by the fire. With !
g piteOus howl, the who'd herd darted |
tron the tree, tails between their legs.
Kaiser, who had hitherto stood cow
ering with fear, now gathered fresh |
courage. But there was not moment |
to be lost. Fritz knew this, for with |
in few minutes the wolves would be |
back. He flung more and more dry
wood upon the fire; the flame rose
brilliantly, and the wolves were kept at
bay.
In the next few seconds Fritz was !
under the branches of the tree on which /
the unfortunate traveller cOuched. At |
the signal Of the boy, the man left his
hiding place, and, under the direction |
of the youth, the two dashed into the |
thiekets of the mountain side.
Fritz, seeing that his companion was !
parsl yzed by terror, left him With /
Ksiser for his protector, while he re-
turned to pile dry bark and twigs up
on the heap he had ignited.
j In the far distance the bay of the |
disappointed wolves was heard upon
the air with violent indications of their
intention and desire to return to the |
prey they had lost. But Fritz was
energetic till the morning broke; the
fire never failed until its flame paled
before the rise OF dawn. All the beasts |
of the forest retire then. Fritz and /
the traveller were safe. @
The gallant boy returned to his faith
er's hostel with the stranger who had
been so inhospitably dismissed from its
dOOr P n