The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-09-29
VOL. XXIII.-NO. ~.

sees lights dashing in the distance and
knows that doors are being opened, dogs
let loose, and guns hastily snatched from
their places. Twenty-Five yards only now
between the sledge and the foremost wolf.
Skien cocks his pistols and keeps cool as
statue. Graabeen No. is grand, deter
mined fellow, believe me. They look at
one another, the man and brute, and there
Is more expression now in the wolf face
than in the mans One, reckoning with
out his host, his sharks eyes glittefing
like stars, is divided between an attack upon
Eric or the horses. The human being
feels pistol trigger under each forefnger
and waits, for it will not do to miss.
Twenty yards, eighteen, fifteen--then Svant-
sen shouts to his comrade:
"The dogs are coming
Skien does not answer and keeps his
eyes upon the foremost wolf Ten yards
off he is now. The deep baying of big
dogs and the shouts of men mingle with
the cry of the wolves, the snort of the
horses, and the bells ringing on over every
thing. Then Skien feels the sledge slacken
speed and raises his arm not moment too
soon. Graabeen No. l sees stream of
fire dart towards him, feels terrible blow
In the chest, and falls writhing, bleeding,
and gnashing his teeth in the cold snow.
Some among his companions stop to do the
last honors to their old leader, but more
than half keep on. Skien shoots another,
aud hurting his pistols with tremendous
force among them breaks the leg of a third.
Svantsen gives the horses their heads and
strikes at the long gray brutes now stream
ing upon either side. Here come the dogs
at last, fresh and full of fighting Twenty
there are, if not more, all eager for tussle
with the universal enemy. They rush into
the wolves, and at the same moment one
Of the horses comes down with crash,
struggles upon his knees, falls again, shrieks,
tries in vain to rise, and rolls over beaten
upon his side. The other, breaking his
traces and lashing out, comes near Draining
his driver, but instead catches wolf which
has just jumped at Svantsen fair in the
chest, and hurls him back five Yards.
Skien has wound his coat round his left
arm and uses his knife with his right. The
freed horse, with dozen wolves leaping
at its head, runs straight into the the res
cuing party. Then torches CLEAN and men
yell and fight hand-to-hand battles with
gaunt, draggled brutes that snap at their
throats, fill the air with the strong vulpine
smell of their kind, and when blow gets
home howl and kick out their lives in the
reddening snow.
1t was a notable and terrific battle while
it lasted, and forms topic for conversation
to this day in Joksdal Half the dogs
were killed, and more than one brave man
who rushed 10 the rescue will carry deep
tokens of the fight to his grave. Svantsen
came worst off, His left arm was badly
torn, and one bite in his throat must have
been fatal had the brute who made it
jumped little stronger. Skien fought
like demon, and escaped marvellously,
with scarce more than an ugly scratch or
two. One horse died where it fell, the
other escaped with its life, but was ruined
for all practical purpose. Svantsen's wife,
however, looked to it that the excellent
beast should live the remainder of his days
in honored idleness.
AND the wolves, though declslVely
beaten, cannot be deemed disgraced. Upon
the field they left four and twenty slain
and some eight or nine wounded to the
death. Deeply detected, torn, manned,
and exhausted, the survivors got them back
to their desolate forest homes, and, maybe,
the God that sees fit to let them live pro-
vided and adequate meal before the moon
had set.
For, mark you, those wolves, without
exactly appreciating the fact, had achieved
a great and splendid work. They had
brought to the surface much that IS noble
in human hearts; they had in two short
minutes done that which years Of time
might not have done; they had destroyed
bitter feud and built upon its ruins a
friendship which will stand while the
friends have life.