The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-01-16

snow. hduplDdn knew II was alt up with
both of them. Such a proceeding would
her from the sled and, be-
fore she could founder a dozen yards
they snow, the would be tearing
her to shreds.
Henreich leaned forward and spoke
kindly to his animal. which raised her
ears that were fiat with terror, and fell
into a more even pace. He then turned.
and brandishing his keen edged hatchet,
shouted to the brutes, but it did not
discomfit 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 ferOcious 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 probability of her terror becOm-
ing uncomfortable, and her breaking
aside from the path.
So long as matters retained their Teia-
tive position, Heinrich felt tEat all was
going well.
1t was not long before the wolves dis
covered that there was little prospect of
success so long as they remained in the
track, and they now began spTinging
et1AN 'NAANA t~NLN if-Ai, ~ CT tetA 't-Nb va
the horse. In every instance they fell
behind but each effort revealed them
to the terrified mare, that had no blink
ers, and the furious plunges she made
filed Henreich with the greatest ankle
ty.
One Of the wolves was very large,
straightforward, and showed a speed
superior to the rest. More than once.
when he spTang out into the snow, he
advanced nearer the breast OF 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 spraug aside.
The speed of these animals is eXtTa0T-
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 i'm twain,
and with a dying yelp he doubled over
IN the snow and was quickly left in the
rear.
One OF the dreaded animals WAS dis
IA ched. There were three left, rs furi-
ous for, blood as him, and these never
abated tben-speed in the least. Had
thev got a tasteSaG, the blood of their
companion they wolf-S. have gagged
themselves on him before sey,..!.iuS Jhe
horse but he Whisked of the sta.'SS g.. OF
life so suddenly that they scarcely no
ticed 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. UenreiCh, too, had learned by this
time, that these were no ordinary ami
mails with which he had TO deal. but
sharpset, tercely courageous and deter
mined brUtes, to which mar or beast
would be alike welcome, their prefer
encc. however. as manifested by their
actions, being for hCrsehesh.
These were not the animals to be
frightened away by the sight of a man S
house, and there was a bad open space
between the outskirts of the forest and
HenUeicb's home TO which he looked
with no little apprehension.
They had now approached the very
edge Of the wood, and the wolves began
gaining on each side. The terror
stricken horse became uncomfortable,
and bounding terrifcaily forward
caught the sled against the stump Of "a
tree, overturned II, and gallOped away
at q fUll run, leaving Henreich alone III
the snow.
Before hc could rise, he felt the brut es
clawing at his throat, but his garments
were SO thick that he was saved from
injury and. rising TO his feet, threw
them off. His hatchet had been jgrked
ont of his hand as he fell, and he looked
desperately around for it, bat it was no.
TO be found.
By this time the mare was almost Oul
of sight and two Of the wolves were
upon the defcnseless man, and the 9th
. er, deserting the animal, bounded back.
Henreich facld the foremost and The
next moment was surrounded.
The powerful man now called into
play ali the strength FOR which he Wa.
SO renowned. He struck fUriOusly n
the leapiDg, snarling bTu-es, and hGn5
them of when they attempted to cling
TO him. Had he possessed weapon
! even a club. it is not impossible that IN
would have saved himself. One blow
with club in his hands, would hay0
cracked the skull of the largest brute
and with a knife he could have rippe,
them open.
But there was no hope, fighting witt
his naked hands. His blood had alread.
dyed the snow, and the smell and tast
. Of it made the bTutes furious. Thei
1.-THE. heavy bodies were hurled agains
him, as if impelled by some power no
their own, and finally they pulled hin
down.
The sweets of this earth, the myster
Of heaven, swept through poor Hen
reich's mind nay, in those brief, terri
ble moments, the particulars foun
time to intrude. It is often, very often
thus in the moment of death
He thought how his devoted Mar
would watch through the vigil-ho'
his mangled remains would tell his fat
in the morning, life's despair for IA
mother of the helpless little ones. a
these things rushed through his brain
and he knew that he himself was in IL
jaws OF the wolves.
Then those foul lurid eyes glared owe
him the tightening Of the throat follow
ed, and thinking was finished. Still J
struggled to release his ar1ns-the gras
on his throat was choking him h
senses resled when, like the whizziu
OF meteor, another hard-breathin@ n
imal shot in among the assailants an
fastened itself on the chief.
The wolves for an instant relaXe
their fury HenTeich reeled giddy
, his feet, and recognized his brave do
. For moment he stood bewildere
when he saw the wolf Tetreatinr, ~
: the other two attacking his dauntle
deg. lie turned to help him, and
bright object caught his eye it was b
, hatchet lying on the snow, within /;
] arm's length OF the last terrible stru
, gle. Henreich snatched il up and ";
himself again.
: His arms We're bleediug bRt shelr 9