Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-08-05

servants to risk so terrible. For | give
you my word that with inexperienced
horses at this season of the year, when the
wolves are most ferocious, it is a deadly
danger to run. entreat you not to insist
Our responsbility"-
Thou, too, Sergel' cries Nine. Novar,
with a burst of ringing laughter Away
with fearl The more danger there is the
more one should feel ones self alive; the
more sensations one has the happier one
should be-"
The lieutenant answers her, with a re.
proving gesture For ones self alone,
yes; but for others?"
A big sleigh, in the shape of half ship,
the horses harnessed to the prov, the
coachman in front, in his usual place,
waits now at the foot of the outer stair
case; between the shafts big black horse,
its intelligent face surmounted by long,
pointed ears and lighted by large, brilliant
eyes, stands patient and stolid between the
Ukraine runners. The right hand horse is
gray, the left hand roam, both of them thin,
sinewy, with flowing names and tails.
Timothy, the coachman, with his strong
face and eagle glance, perched up aloft,
touches his cap to the prince as he slowly
decends the steps, Nine. Novar on his arm
She pale and frail, but smiling is clad from
head to foot in sealskin, her flashing eyes
sparkling like flame through her veil, a
light rife flung carelessly over her
shoulder The lieutenant follows, with
Andre bearing half dozen guns.
A clear, silvery light floods everything,
house and grounds. Each line of harness,
the guns, the eyes of the horses and of the
men shine under it with extraordinary
brilliancy and seem to give back to it
electric sparks. Nine. Novar runs across
the terrace, which the marvellous witchery
of snow and moonlight has turned to
purest marble. She springs to the sleigh,
the men quickly follow; at the same in
slant low grunts and squeals are heard
under the furs. Andre filings himself
down on the spot whence come the squeals
to stifle the sound and the horses are off
at a galop.
! Fast as the run is, it is almost noiseless,
| the fall of the horses hoofs on the soft
snow scarcely perceptible. The bells have
been removed from both sleigh and har-
ness. Now and then the coachman's whis-
tie resounds through the stiffness like a
birds shrill call. Again one of the horses
sneezes. But ever in this arrowy rush
they cross the swelling, undulating plains
that stretch out like endless sheets of sill
| yer.
The plains once passed they enter a
stately wood, whose trees form lines of
black and wavering of limtess perspec-
tive. Timothy halts at a crossroads; the
vehicle stands out against the snow like a
bit of ebony on field of pearl. The frs,
stirred by the wind, moan and creak dis
mally, the boughs rub and grind each
other with dull, crunching sound. The
| horses snort. thp SmOt hprp1 cries rise st III
from the bottom of the sleigh.
as it to be here, your eXcellency?" asks
Timothy quietly.
"How far are we from the Green lake,
the prince responds.
"Nearly five miles: this road leads ther,
direct, winds around the lake edge ant
loses itself in the steppe on its way to tn,
highland, which it joins near the post sta
ton"
Nine. Novar, still impatient, interrupt:
with the order, Make the pig cryl"
at would be better to wait, / think,
Andre replies. This road turns sharply
not far from here, and the bitches are deep
granting even that we are able to keep oil
the margin of the pond"-
Peace, fooll' cries Nine. Novar; 'do a
you are bidV'
And instantly there sounds from TIN
!, sleigh bottom hideous medley OF squalls
squeals ana ear spll'tlhg gruhts' such
only pig mas power TO utter ana "he'he
bleeding 10 ueath OF merely having MS ca
pulled his gamut OF notes Is always IN
same Nine NoVar Smiles 'rluinphanti9
the lieutenant looks at her' ana then turn
ms eyes, WIN silght hit OF the shouiuei
| Inc 1rightlul ciamor reaches lar ant
wide IN the rarehed ar. Andre now AM
81. a Ia lie a. ban hoo
theh stines the uluer neaVy sheei
/ SKIN ana all eagerly hsteh. suddenly
one OF these intervals OF silence pat'er
running 1eet SOUNDS pehino them on IN
yielding snow. IL comes from the depth
OF the 1orest' IL draws nearer ana nearer
Dry branches snap. Inc horses trempl'
soon the patter changes 10 regular pluhge'
l like pack OF hunting dogs leaping an
bounding, ana oack OF them, IN the thlcke'
lank, gaunt forms gather ana multiply.
All at once the horses rear 1lmoIh
' braces himself Ike rock III MS seat. In
E edge OF the forest giows now with line
fiery sparks, greenish and changeful-th
= phosphorescent eyeDalls OF the wolves az
e vance guard neeing ana skulklng, but