Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-10-12

entered them. Like a dream picture,
as his enemy's words fell upon his
car, he saw the girl at home nursing
her baby, saw the sledge dash through
the village street, saw the husband
reel into the strong out-stretched
arms Of his friends, and heard the
Wife's cry of thankfulness to God.
That was all. No vision Of his own
figure in the story Obtruded itself. 4
flash Of lightning could not be quick
er than the thought as it filed his
brain and transformed every ambi-
ton passion and desire.
''True,' he said 81 have no quarrel
with those in thine home. Thou are
a husband and a father had for
gotten. Get you gone, Svantsen.
My eyes are opened now, and see
far ahead. Fly, man, while there is
yet time. Take these pistols with
thee, too, and remember in the days
to come there was no evil between us
at the end. Go, 1 say: the horses are
killing themselves.
He held up the weapons, and find
ing that the driver was too occupied
to take them from him placed both
pistols at his feet in the sledge, as
Svantsen. answered:
"Sayest thou this?" he cried. ''By
heaven, SlEien, such au enemy as thou
makest is worth q thousand friends.
Leave thee, man? Neverl Mount. I
command it; else I viii shoot these
frantic beasts myself. God willing,
we shall yet sleep in our homes to-
night; if not, then together here.
Eric hesitated for a brief moment.
The thought of q great sacrifice was
strong within him, but his old enemy
would not be denied His will was as
powerful as the others, and most as
suredly both men mustha persisted
had not SZien relented. Atlast, there
fore, yielding to Svantsen's entreaty,
he craWled exhausted upon the hind
er seat Of the sledge, and, not a NOM
ent too soon, the men were Whirled
away together.
(Read without haste, the above dia-
lOgue, if timed, would be found to
take WO-and-a-halfminu Intact,
however, it barely occupied tWO.)
Five short minutes later the wolves
arrive upon the spot where the snow
is trampled and Skein's fOOtmarks
cease. Now they are racing, for the
quarry show. up black and clear
against the snow, little more than
mile ahead
Let us once more hunt with the
hunters and watch them as-their
feet falling like the pattering rustic
Of rain-they came on, one hurtling
against another. Their mouths are
open, the hair on their backs is be
ginning to stiffen and stand on end;
their phOsphOrescent eyes are fixed
upon the flying sIedge. A long stern
chase it has been, and like to meet
with q grand reward, if all goes well.
So yard by yard they getupOn better
terms with the vehicle True the
black horizon gradually changes into
irregular outlines Of q pine forest;
true also, beneath the trees CLEAN
sparks Of red and yellow fire that sug-
gest human habitatiOns; but = OksdaI
is distant a mile yet, whereas three
hundred yards alone separate wolves
and men. Now q long pull, q strong
pull, pull all together, and then
supper!
Like the bellows of a forge sob the
horses and they need not the heavy
whip, though that now and again
misses in the air over their heads.
Great jets of steam burst from their
gaping nOstrils, and they show the
blOOdshOtW whites of their eyes. Since
Slzien got upon the sledge not anOth-
er word has been spoken. SVantsen
drives with magnificent nerve and
judgment, keeping the horses steady, |
but getting every inch out OF them
he can. If either comes down it must !
mean certain death for all. Skein sits !
crOuched up at the back Of the sledge
with his face to the incoming multi /
tude and a pistol in each hand. |
Nearer get the wolves and nearer. !
They are now going about twenty /
yards in hundred quicker than their |
prey. The big sledge rug, manufac- |
ured from skins of their defunct kim /
dred, is thrown to them; but what /
are dead wolves coats as an article /
Of food compared with the shining /
sides of those gauOping animals, now |
only fifty yards in front? 1t hardly !
stays them for a moment.
JOksdal is still nearly a quarter of a /
mile of. Svantsen jadels, and the /
clear notes 90 echOwing forward TO /
the village and back to the wolves. !
They give tongue again in answer
and strive each to be alongside the |
horses before the other. That last !
IOn0-draWn howl may save the sledge, |
for it has told those at home every
thing. Svantsen sees lights flashing /
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 /
betW cen the sledge and the foremost /
wolf. Slzien cocks his pistols and /
IL al oh
No, I is a grand, determined fellow, /
I 1 l.