The Republican., 1888-10-06

| equal, are not so IrultIul OF violence and the
| knife as hot-blooded men Of the south NJ
! have they quite such keenness and capahil
| ity for suffering or joy. Their sensibilitios
are somewhat more blunt, and there is moro
prose and less poetry in their lives, less sn,,
shine aud more hard work. / speak If
course, of the lower social classes; Sken
was a shepherd; Svantsen, the keeper Of a
| small inn.
And nova year after the catastropbe.
they meet, the one flushed and hot and
nearly spent with his hard running. the
other cold and white, and with all his wits
about him. Skien, thinking to see a friend
looks up at the man in the sledge. As he
does so, anxiety changes to incredulous and
savage joy; the howl of wolves falls nm
needed upon his ear, he clutches hard at
something hidden in his belt and shows his
teeth. The other with an iron hand upon
tie reins. checks for an instant his fyinu
sledge and keeps pace with his old enemy,
One of the struggling horses, arrested in his
fight for life, neighs and plurges to be free.
| The bells clash and jangle; for a moment
the hungry throats behind are silent; over
all the moon shines bright and cold, bring
ing out every detail of the scene as clearly
as daylight could.
| Rollo Svantsen speaks first.
"Ah, friend Skien, thou wilt have to %
at greater pace than thy present jog if
Joksdal is to see thee again. Graabsen
| (wolf) travels world faster and is now
nearer to thee than thou art to home. Wilt
deign to accept a seat! If so, it is at thv
servicen
"At last we meet theu,n gasped the oher.
81 had rather seen thee than the the
friend and strongest horse in Norway
last thou art in my hand, Kollo Svau&,&
Nay, stay thy horses, or 1 will do gf&A
thee"
Fool! Thou do it? Couldst thu Up md
a year ago. Then think not to hol baci9
these mad brutes here by an at ofhlne'
For answer Sllien leveled a pist at oheI
| head of the horse nearest hin. Te oarrea
flashed in the moonlight IKE ME- ana
Svantsen, choking in his tlroat ne cry oI
horror that rose in it, piled atthe relhs'
and nearly overturned tb vehtce ne drove
This is no time for esting man." ne
cried Leap by mo, andio it qdckly' or we
shall both be lost"
"And why nOtl ThCl hast eft me noth
| ing to live for. Ever thing that was gooo
to me in the world he beentaken by tneei
now it is my turn an l COLD slay thee, out
that l had rather les'e to those behlnd."
While the horsesEere nearly dislocating
his shoulder joints Svaasten made an an
swer:
Think not tina l fear death any more
than thee. II tpu wilest that but one Of
us shall reach hs home | care not. plead
not for my salty least Of all at thy hands,
but others pied for it. The past is past,
the wrongs Inave done to thee are past, and
past atouine Slay me if thou wilt, it is but
Justice: buf be generous in thine hour of
triumph. Save thyself, Skien, Ilmplore it
and see that what is in the sledee be given
to those | 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 Never had
his heavy brain been so stirred, never before
had the possibility of nobler and heroic ac-
tions entered them. Like dream picture,
as his enemy's words fell upon his ear,
he saw Che 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
filled his brain, and transformed every am
| bition, passion, desire. ~
~TI,te,'' o said, II have no quarrel win
those in thine home. Thou art husband,
father-I had forgotten. Get you gone,
Svantsen; my eyes are opened now and 1
see far ahead. Fly, man, while there is yet
+,l, nd
remember in the days to come there was no
evil between US at the end. Go, l 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. "By
Heaven, Skien, such an enemy as thou
makest is worth thousand friends. Leave
thee, man! 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. 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 persisted had not Skien relented. Al
last, therefore, yielding to Svantsen's en-
treaty, he crawled exhausted on the hinder
seat of the sledge, and not a moment toe
soon, the men were whirled away together
(Read without haste the above dialogue
if timed, would be found to take two and 6
half minutes. In fact, however, it barely
occupied two.)
Five short minutes later the wolves ar
rived upon the spot where the snow i:
trampled and Skien's footmarks cease. Now
they are racing, for the quarry shows W
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 hustling against another. Their mouth!
are open, the hair upon their backs is begin
ming to stiffen and stand on end, their phos
phorescent eyes are fixed upon the hying
sledge A long stern chase it has been an(
it seems like to meet with grand reward
/ If all goes well. So yard by yard they ge
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 habtations
but Joksdal is distant mile yet, whereas
three hundred yards alone separate wolves
and men. Now, a long pull, Il strong pull. a
pull altogether, and then-supper!
Like the bellows of forge sob the horses
and nepd not tho heavy Nyhip fhou0b ~ .