The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-09-11

ana returned to his bed, snuducrlng, as
he deserved to do at the thought at what
might have happened by this time through
what he had done. Meantime, Fritz,
having accomplished the object of his
journey to Kandersteg, was returning
home with Kaiser The bold boy was
alone, but overtaken more rapidly than
he expected by nighttall. He knew the
valleys and the perilous pathways we'll,
conseJ Juentiy had chosen somewhat
shorter route than the beaten road of the
Lauterbrunnen pass. He reached home
about an hour after the event related
above. The dog had shown great rest,
lcssness, occasionally stopped and shifted
the air, though Fritz was quite ignorant
of the cause. His parents lay awake as
their boy approached the hotel. They
were not likely to sleep that night. The
horrors Of what might he happening up
that awful valley filled their minds They
knew i'll an instant the footstep of Fritz
and the bark of Kaiser. The man dartcd
down stairs to open the door to his boy.
'Thank God you have GOMEZ said he,
his face pale and his voice agitatcd. I'VE
didn't expect you at this time. Make
haste in sald he. as he began early to
close the door. Fritz fingered in the
road.
II don't know what's the matter with
Kaiser tonight; he has been wonderfully
restless for the last hour, and now he is
smiling about the road as if he smelt
danger. There are iootstepts in the snow,
attentively examining the ground. "Who
has been here, tatherl or what! Here,
Kaiser, Kaiser, come here, old dog
The dog obeycd. The animal and his
master had now entered the door of the
inn. The door was Immediately slam
med to, and the pale, terrified host told
the dreadful story to Fritz. ....-...
"My father, you have never sent that
traveller aAay!'
81 have, boy. He was hunted hard by
pack Of wolves, and we dared not open
the house lest the whole pack had come
in upon us, and the wrctched mans
teeth chattcrcd in his fright
ooh, father, what have you done! It's
disgrace to the valley, it's disgrace to
Switzerland; it will be a lasting, lasting
disgrace to our family a....
And the boy rushed toward the stable
door. In a minute after, in spite OF his
fathers earnest eXpostulatlon, he had
flung himself on to the unsaddled horse,
and with Kaiser at his heels, dashed up
trc Louterbrunncu Pass. The wretched
parents listened in anguish to the rapidly
receding sounds of the horse, and sec
ond time the valley was left to silence,
to solitude and the night.
The gallant boy rode almost wildly on.
1t was long before he caught a sound,
although he often stopped to listen, but
could hear nothing above the wall Of the
wintry night. At length he fancicu
he could discern very far away, be-
yond the Staubach, the faint bay OF
wolves, II sound to which the ears Of Fritz
had been accustomed from his childhood
lie urged his horse on with greater eager
ness, hoping he might not arrive too late
to be Of use to the unfortunate traveller
His horse suddenly swcrvcd, and Kaiser
dashed forward on what turned out 10
be the bloody carcass OF Il wolf on the
road. 1t was evident that the man had
had a desperate struggle with his first
assailaut. On went Fritz, and found the
snow upon the road marked with a long
track Of blood stains; another animal,
not dead, but disabled, lay by the side
of the road, to which it had crawlcd.
it dead. a#g
Fritz was now in an agony of distress
expecting every moment to come upon
some trace of the object Of his pursuit
A few yards further and under the boughs
of some trees which ovcrhung the way,
lay stretched the still heaving body or
the horse. The miserable man had evil
dently deserted the horse to become the
prey Of the raven0us brutes in hopes OF
saving himself; but not wolf remained
near the body Of the horse, which they
had satisfied themselves with decorating
in the eager pursuit Of its rider. AT that
instant a human voice sounded upon
Fritz's ear some little way further on it
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 hun
cry wolves. .. ...........-.. .......
The great difficulty Of Fritz at this
moment was how he was to save the un.
fortunate man, who was c1nging hazard
ously to the bough of the tree, which
could not support him long. Between
the bov and the terrified traveller was now
ranged II ClTCic vi Slfclll NOlNts, iOt tiiCSC
animals, when they feel sure Of their
prey, give up their baying and their
bowling. The moment was critical, but
the instinct and experience Of an Alpine
boy told him ut once Uhat 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 t e pack. Kaiser
remained quiet, with his tail between his
legs; he was dog far too well trained to
advance step without his masters bid
ding, though ready to spring ut the
throat of any wolf, or do battle with any
three ANY but thoroughly Alpine boy
would have been in perfect perpiexity at
this time.
Before him upon the bow of the tree,
was the miserable man he had come to
save Betwe N himself and his object
was circle of the most dangerous AMI
mails of the mountain or the forest Brave
and daring as his deg was, Fritz well
knew that in this crisis Kaiser could dc
nothing. He sprang from his horse; the
ho sc tren! n!hled; Kaizcr never moved. In
, few moments Fritz had gathered some
, dry sticks upon the opposite hillside he
/ struck spark from the flint he always
5 carried with him, and in minute bril-!
| liant fame illuminated the forest and
flared over the hungry band. With the
. instinct of the wild beast of the forest OF
t the mountains the wolves were startled
g bv the fire. With a piteOls howl, the