Wichita eagle., 1888-09-09

actions entered them. Like dream picture,
as his enemy's words fell upon bis ears. be
saw tbs 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 A fash Of lightning
could not be quicker than the thought as it
filed his brain and transformed every ambi-
ton, passion, desire.
''True," be said, II have no quarrel with
those In thine home Thou art husband
and q father-I had forgotten. Get you
gone, Sransten; my eyes are opened now
and see Tar ahead Fly, man, whilst 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
tho driver was too occupied to take them
from him, placed both pistols at his feet in
the sledge, as Svansten answered:
''SayeSt thou thiss" he DRIED "By heaven,
Skien, such an enemy as thou makest it
worth thousand friends. Leave thee, mani
Never! Mount, command it; else I win
shoot these frantic beasts myself God will
ing, We shall yet sleep in our home tonight;
il not, then together here" Eric hesitated
for brief moment The thoughtof q great
secrifce was strong within him, but his old
enemy would not be denied. His viii was
as powerful az the others, end most aaufedly
both men must have perished bad not Skien
relented At last, therefore, yielding to
Svantsenss entreaty, he crawled exhausted
upon the hinder seat Of the sledge and NOT
a moment too soon, the men were whirled
away together.
Five short minutes later tho wolves arrive
upon the spot where the Snow is trampled
and Skien's footnarks 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
and watch them as-their feet falling like
the pattering rustic of rain-they come ON,
one hurting against another. Their mouths
are open, the hair upon their backs IS begin
ming to stiffen ard stand on end, their phos-
phorescent eyes are fixed upon the flying
sledge. A long, stern chase 1t has been, and
seems like to meet with grand reward if all
goes we'll So yard by yard they get upon
better terms with the vehicle. True, the
black horizon gradually changes into irregu-
lar outlines Of a pine forest; true also, BE-
meath the trees gleam sparks Of red and yei-
low fire that suggest human habitations; but
Joksdal is distant a mile yet, whereas 300
yards alone separate wolves and men. Now
long pull, a strong pull, and pull alto
gether, 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 nostrls, and they show the bloodshot
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 get
ting everyfnch 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 q hundred
quicker than their prey. The big sledge rug,
manufactured from the 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 gal
loping animals, now only fifty yards in 'front.'
It hardly stays them for moment.
Joksdal is still nearly quarter of a mile
of. Srantsen jode!s and the clear notes go
echoing forward to the village and back to
the wolves They give tongue in answer and
strive each to be alongside tho horses before
the other. That last long drawn howl may
save the sledge, for it had told those at homo
everything. 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 between the sledge and the
foremost wolf. Skien cocks his pistols and
keeps cool as statue. Graabeen No is
grand, determined 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 q
pistol trigger under each forefnger and
waits; for 1t will not do to miss. Twenty
yards, eighteen, ffteen-then Svsntsen
shouts to his comraGe:
'The dogs ore comingI"
Skien does not answer, and keeps bis eyes
upon the foremost wolf. Ten yards Off he is
now. The deep baying Of big dogs and 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 slacksn speed and raises his arm not q
moment too soon. Graabeen No. sees
stream Of Gre dart toward him, feels a terri
BILE blow in the chest and falls writhing,
bleeding and gnashing his teeth in the cold
snow. Some among hts 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 tre-
mendous force among them. breaks the leg
of third Svantsen gives the horses their
heads, and strikes at the long gray brutes
now streaming upon either side Hero como
the dogs at last, fresh and fun Of fighting.
Twenty there are, II not more, all eager for
the tussle with the universal enemy. They
rush into the wolves, and at the game mo-
nent one Of the horses comes down with a
crash, struggles upon his knees, falls again,
sfrieks, tries In vain to rise and rolls over,
beatan, upon his side The other, breaking
the trace and lashing out, comes near brain
ing his driver, but instead catches wolf
which has just jumped at Svantsen fair n
the chest and hurls him back five yards
Skien has wound his coat round hts left arna
and uses a knife with his right Tho
freed horse, with a dozen wolves leap
hg at its heed, runs straight into tho
rescuing party. Then torches gleam and
men yell and fight hand to hand battles
with gaunt, draSYled brutes that snap at
their threats, fill the air with the strong
vulpine smell Of their kind, and when q
blow gets home, howl and kick out their lives
in the reddening snow. 1t was notable and