The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-10-11


to those leave behind. Declare, wnen
questioned, that I fell from my placo and
thou couldst not stay the horses to sava
me-"
So he spoke, and . grsst wsve of feeling
passed through tho others mind. Never had
his heavy brain been 80 stirred, never before
had the possibility Of nobler and heroic 40
tous entered them. Like dream picture,
as his enemy's words fell upon his ear,
he saw the girl at home nursing her baby,
saw the sledge 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 Il
filled his brain, and transformed every am
bition, passion, DESIRE
'True, :" he said, II have no quarrel with
those in thine home. Thou art a husband,
father-1 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, I soy, the
horses are killing themselves.''
He held up the weapons, and finding that
tho driver was too occupied to take them
from him, placed both pistols at his feet In
the sledge as Svantsen answered:
'Sayest thou this2" no cried. ''EY
Heaven, Skien, such an enemy as thou
makest Is worth Thousand friends. Leave
thee, mani Never! 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. Tho
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 persisted had not Skien relented. AT
last, therefore, yielding to Svantsen's en-.
treaty, he crawled exhausted ON the hinder
seat OF the sledge, and not moment too
soon, the men were whirled away together.
(Read without haste the above dialogue,
II timed, would be found to take two and 8
| half minutes. In fact, however, it barely
| occupied two.)
| Five short minutes later the wolves ar.
rived upon the spot where tho 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 thana mile ahead.
Let us once more hunt with the hunters
and watch them as-their feet falling like
the pattering rustic Of rain-they come on,
one hustling against another. Their mouths
fha hair fhoi 1,oo so 1>or,
| ming to stiffen and stand on end, their phos-
phorescent eyes are fixed upon the flying
sledge. A long stern chase it has been, and
it seems like to meet with grand reward,
II all goes well. So yard by yard they get
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, u strong pull, q
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 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 to all. Skien sits crouched up
at the back Of the sledge with his face to the
oncoming multitude and pistol in each
hand. Nearer get the wolves and nearer.
They are now going about twenty yards in a
| hundred quicker than their prey. The big
| sledge-rug manufactured from skins of their
defunct kindred, is thrown to them; but
what are dead wolves coats as an article of
| food compared with the shining sides OF
| those galloping animals, now only fifty
yards in front! 1t hardly stays them for q
| moment.
Joksdal is still nearly a quarter of mile
! of. Svantsen jodels, and the clear notes
20 echoing 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 long.
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 be.
tween the sledge and the foremost wolf.
Skien cocks his pistol, and keeps cool as a
statue. Graabeen, No. l, is a grand, deter
mined fellow, believe me. They look at one
another, the man and brute, and there is
more expression now in the VOLTS face
than in the mans. One reckoning without
his host, his sharks eyes glittering like
stars. is divided between an attack upon
| Eric or the horses. The human being
feels pistol trigger under each forefinger
nd L.
Twenty yards, eighteen, fifteen then
| Svantsen shouts to his comrade:
''The dogs are comingv'
| Skien does not answer, and keeps his eve
upon the foremost wolf. Ten yards of 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 everything. Then
Skien feels the sledge slacken speed and
raises his arm not moment too soon.
! Graabeen No. l sees a stream of fire dart
! toward him, feels a terrible blow in the
/ chest and falls, writing, 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, and
hurting his pistols with tremendous force
among them, breaks the leg of third.
ISvantsen 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, strug.
giles upon his knees, falls again, shrieks,
tries in vain to rise and rolls over, beaten
upon his side. The other, breaking his
trace and flashing out, comes near Draining
his driver, but instead catches wolf which
has jumped at Svantsen fair in the chest,
Ind hurts him back five yards. Skien has
wound his coat round his left arm and uses
q knife with his right. The freed horse,
with dozen wolves leaping at it's head,
runs straight into the rescuing party. Then
torches CLEAN and men yell and fight hand