Wichita eagle., 1888-09-04

wolves which haunted it in the winter
season. Of late years they had disap-
peared, but now, as the winter set fairly
in, they came again. OF course, popu-
lar prejudice at once declared that these
monsters were not real wolves, but wehr-
wolves, or, in other words, the Nagots
who inhabited the hamlet, and this was
| the occasion of renewed prosecutions.
Marie and Alfred continued to meet in
the forest, and if they knew that the
wolves were there paid no attention to
| them.
Late one afternoon Marie started out
| to cut some wood for her hut. Taking
| her Ratchet she set out, and, although it
was late and the distance long, bent her
steps toward that part of the wood where
she usually met her lover, hoping she
might see him there. Arriving at the
spot, she saw nothing of him, and as the
darkness was coming on, fell at once to
chopping her wood.
She soon obtained sufficient quantity
/ and was about to return home, when she
saw him coming toward the forest.
When he joined her he said it was so late
that he would walk with her portion of
| the way toward her home He told her
he was ready to go with her to some dis
tant part of the country and get married,
as soon as the spring should set in, and
that she must make her preparations to
go with him. This she readily promised
TO do, but while she was speaking foot
falls were heard, and Alfred turned away
and plunged into the gloom of the woods
to escape recognition. Marie fell at
once to chopping wood, but she was SO
nervous and excited that she cut her
! hand badly with her Ratchet, and while
she was trying to bind it up man came
up with her, and in a harsh tone said:
'.What are you doing here, girl, at
| this hour?'
She glanced at him in alarm, for she
recognized his voice. 1t was DicR Thayer,
who had been the chief of her perse-
cutors on the day she was rescued by
| Uncle Eben.
"What are you here for, I say?'' he
continued, fiercely. "By St. Peter,
think you are lying in wait for some
1 honest fellow who may chance to pass
this way after nightfall. But I'll put a
stop to that.
With these words he sprang at her,
and wrenching her Ratchet from her
/ hand aimed terrible blow at her.
She eluded it, and after desperate
! effort managed to escape, and fled into
the woods, pursued by Thayer. 1t was
dark and gloomy in among the trees, and
she paused a few yards from where she
! had started, and her blood froze with
horror as she beheld two bright eyes
shining before her in the darkness. Dick
! Thayer saw them, too, and paused for a
moment in dismay; and Marie, taking
advantage Of this, slipped by him I'M
observed, and, regaining the path, fed
homeward.
Well might Dick Thayer pause and
utter an exclamation of dismay. Straight
before him stood large she wolf, with
her bright eyes glaring fiercely at him
and her huge gray form standing out
boldly amid the gloom. Dick was not>a
coward, and in this case he saw that his
only safety lay in making good, bold
fight for life. So he grasped the Ratchet
firmly and breathed short prayer. As
he did so the animal uttered a savage
growl and sprang at his throat.
A sharp, short struggle followed, in
which Dick was sorely put to it to defend
himself. At last, however, he gave the
wolf a deep cut in the fore paw, and,
with a yell of baffled rage, the animal
turned and fed from him, leaving him
little scratched and bruised, but in no.
wise badly hurt.
Now, as he had come so suddenly upon
the wolf while in pursuit of the young
Nagot girl, and as he was firm believer
in the wehrwolf superstition, Dick
Thayer did not for instant doubt that
the wolf he had fought was no other than
Marie in her lupine form.
When Dick. upon his return to the
village, had told his story, the people
went wild with excitement.
Down with the Nagots!" was the CRY
that went up.
Eyes" said Dick, s'down not only
with this Nagot, but with the whole
race"
mot so fast, my friends cried one
of the crowd. 'Let us go to the she
VOLTS den and take vengeance upon her,
and burn the den over her head. We
have nothing as yet to punish the rest
for, but we can rid ourselves of this one.
But" he added, turning to Dick, ''did
you not say that you wounded the wolf
in the fore paw"
''Most undoubtedly didr' replied
Dick, Sin the left fore paw
Then" said another, eff this girl is
guilty of the charge you bring against
her, she will have the mark of the wound
on the left arm or hand. Let US go to
the she VOLTS den."
With an angry shout the crowd
rushed madly toward the Nagot hamlet.
As they neared the locality their cries
and shouts reused the poor wretches
from their SAUNDERS, and caused them to
tremble with dread, for they thought
their hour had come. But the mob
swept through the wretched streets and
passed on toward the lonely cottage near
the forest.
Marie was reused from her siumbers
by loud cries and the tramping of many
feet around the house. Then there came
fierce rapping at the door and a sharp
demand for admission. Instinctively
the poor girl knew that some new perse-
cution awaited her, and she shrank cow
eringly into a corner behind some old
rubbish. In an instant the door was
burst in, and the crowd poured into the
house. The old mother, divining their
purpose, received them with storm of
curses, and shook her withered fists at
them in impotent rage
s'Shut up, old wolff" cried Dick
Thayer, brutally. Tell us where Your