The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-10-06

nearer TO thee than thou art to home. wilt
deign to accept seati II so, 1t is at thy
service"
'At last we meet them" gasped the other.
~ had rather seen thee than the trucst
friend and strongest horse In Norway. AT
last thou art In my hand, Rollo Svantsen.
Nay, stay thy horses, or will do 1t for
thee"
Fooli Thou do iti Couldst thou stop me
a year agoi Then think not to hold back
these mad brutes here by an act of thine"
For answer Skicn levelcd pistol at the
head of the horse nearest him. The barrel
flashed In the moonlight like knife, and
Svantscn, choking In his throat tho cry OF
horror that rose in It, pulled at the reins,
and nearly overturned tho vehicle he drove.
"This is no time for jesting, mani" he
cried Leap by mo, and do 1t quickly, or we
shall both be lost"
"And why notl Thou hast left mo moth
ing to live for. Every thing that was good
to me in tho world has been taken by thee;
now 1t Is my turn, and l could slay thee, but
that had rather leave to those behind"
While the horses were nearly dislocating
his shoulder joints, Svansten made an am
swer:
Think not that fear death any moro
than thee II thou willest that but one of
us shall reach his home caro- not. plead
not for my safety least OF all at thy hands,
but others plead for it. The past is past,
the wrongs have done to thee arc past, and
past atoning. Slay mo If thou wilt, it is but
Justice; but be generous in thine hour Of
triumph. Save thyself, Skien, implore 1t
and see that what is in the sledge be given
to those I leave behind. Declare, when
questioned, that fell from my place and
thou couldst not stay the horses to save
me-"
So he spoke, and great wave Of feeling
passed through the others mind. Mover had
his heavy brain been so stirred, never before
had the possibility of nobler and heroic ac-
tions entered them. Like a dream picture,
as his enemy's words fell upon his ear,
he saw the girl at home nursing her baby,
saw the slcdge dash through the village
street, saw the husband reel into the strong
outstretched arms of his friends, and the
wife's cry Of thankfulness to God. That
was all; no vision of his own figure in the
story obtruded itself A flash of lightning
could not be quicker than the thought, as it
filled his brain, and transformed every am
btion, passion, desire.
"True," he said, II have no quarrel with
those in thine home. Thou art husband,
q father-I had forgotten. 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, say, the
horses are killing themselves"
He held up the weapons, and finding 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 thisl" he cried. sBy
Heaven, Sklen, such an enemy as thou
makest is worth a Thousand friends. Leave
thee, manl Neverl Mount, command it {;
else will shoot these frantic beasts myself.
God willing, we shall yet sleep in our homes
tonight; if not, then together here"
Eric hesitated for brief moment. The
thought of great sacrifice was strong
within him, but his old enemy would not be
denied. His will was as powerless as the
others, and most assured both men must
have perished had not Slsien relentcd. At
last, therefore, yielding to Svantsen's en-
treaty, he crawled exhausted on the hinder
seat of the sledge, and not a moment too
soon, the mon were whirled away together.
(Read without haste the above dialogue,
if timed, would be found to take two and a
half minutes. In fact, however, it barely
occupied twO.)
Five short minutes later the wolves DR.
rived upon the spot whore the snow is
trampled and Skien's footmarks cease. Now
they are racing, for the quarry shows up
black and clear against the snow, little
more than mile ahead.
Let us once more hunt with the hunters
ofrh than, oa-tbair foot fol1inty 1iyc
tho pattering rustic f-rain-they come on
one hustling against another. Their mouths
are open, the hair upon their backs is begin.
ming to stiffen and stand on end, their plios.
phorescent eyes are fixed upon the flying
sledge. A long stern chase it has been, and
it seems like to meet with a grand reward
if all goes well. So yard by yard they gel
upon better terms with the vehicle True
the black horizon gradually changes into ir
! regular outlines of pine forest; true, also
beneath the trees, CLEAN sparks of red and
yellow fire that suggests human habitations
but Joksdal is distant mile yet, whereas
three hundred yards alone separate wolves
and men. Now, long pull, a strong pull, 9
pull altogether, and then-supper
Like the bellows Of forge sob the horses
and need not the heavy whip, though that
now and again Kisses in the air over their
heads. Great jets of steam burst from their
gaping nostrils, and they show the blood
shot whites of their eyes. Since Skien got
| upon the sledge not another word has beer
spoken. Svantsen drives with magnificent
nerve and judgment, keeping the horses
steady, but getting every inch out Of then
he can. If either comes down it must near
certain death to all. Slsien sits crouched VI
| at the back of the sledge with his face to the
oncoming multitude 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 biz
sledge-rug manufactured from skins of theil
defunct kindred, is thrown to them; bu
what are dead wolves coats as an article o.
food compared with the shining sides O.
those galloping animals, now only fifty
yards in front? 1t hardly stays them for
moment.
Joksdnl is still nearly q quarter of mil,
off. Svantsen jodels, and the clear note
20 echoing forward to the village and bacl
to the wolves. They give tongue again il
answer and strive each to be alongside tn,
horses before the other. That last long
drawn howl may save the sledge, for it ha
told those at home every thing. Svantsel
sees lights flashing in the distance an,
knows that doors are being opened, dogs le
loose, and guns hastily snatched from thei
places. Twenty-Five yards only now be
tween the sledge and the foremost wolf
Skien cocks his pistol, and keeps cool as
statue. Graabeen, No. l, is a grand, deter
mined follow, believe mo. They look at on
another, the man and brute, and there i
more expression now in the VOLTS fac
than in the mans. One reckoning withou
his host his sharks eyes glittering lik