, 1888-09-13

"'s' 6it al VI ~ oAANA hlA bObA AALA Va
it at their next meeting.
The Nagot hamlet, as stated above,
was situated near a large forest, which
has now given place to a ~populous and
fourishing neighborhood. This forest
had once been famous for the terrible
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 hat 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 N afternoon Marie started out
to cut some wood for her hut. Taking
her Ratchet, she set out, and, although 1t
WIS late and the distance long, bent her
steps toward that part ofothe 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.
J She soon obtained a sufficient quantity
] 'llb wa dDOub W ISluID uOIlt, wien SIZE
saw him coming toward the forest.
When he Joined her he said it was so late
that he would walk with her a 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 hatchet, and while
size was trying to bind it up a 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 Dick Thayer,
who had been the chief of her perse-
cutors on the day she was rescued by
Uncle Eben.
what are you here for, l say?" he
continued, fierce by st. Peter, |
think you are .n@ in wait for some
honest fellow wLo 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 a terrible blow at her.
She eluded it, and after a desperate
effort managed to escape, and fed 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
momen in dismay; and Marie, taking
advantage of this, slipped by him un-
observed, and, regaining the path, fled
homeward.
Well might Dick Thayer pause and
utter an exclamation of dismay. Straight
before him stood a large sire wolf, with
her fright eyes glaring fercely 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 a good, bold
fight for life. So he grasped the Ratchet
firmly and breathed a short prayer. Az
he did so the animal uttered a savage
growl and sprang at his throat.
A sharp, short struggle followed, in
DN a oOASiy PuO " ~ W hClSIu
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 fled from him, leaving him a
little scratched and bruised, but in no.
wise badly hurt.
Now, as he had come SO suddenly upon
tie wolf while in pursuit of the young
Nagot girl, and as he was a firm believer
in the wehrwolf superstition, Dick
Thayer did not for a instant doubt that
the wolf he had fought was no other thar
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 Nagors!' was the cry
that went up.
yes" said Dick, down not only
with this Nagot, but with the whole
race"
Not 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 l did," replied
Dick, lin 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 tc
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 slumbers, 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 slumbers
L. LII -