Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-09-08

little creeks and could hearithe water
from them trickling into the river un-
derneath the ice, but save for that
sound and the creaking of my skates
all was silent
Lights were burning in the farm
house windows, but no noise came
from them; the men were sitting
around the fires with their wives and
children, and work was over for the
day.
After little l passed beyond these
signs of civilization, between lands
which we're wild or far from the own
ers's houses, and 1 saw no more lights.
The last of the day was gone, and the
moon was high-cold, round and
white. 1t lighted up the ice like an
arc light at first. Then some clouds
came up and dimmed it, and presently
1 shot in between the walls of for
est, where the shores were swampy, and
the trees, black and tall, made the
river almost like dark room.
But the ice cleaned Whitley and
showed the way, and the blood was
dancing through my veins with the
iov of swift motion, so 1 didn't care
for a little gloom, but 1 made the pace
faster and whistled a tune for com
pany's sake.
Now, was always an absent-minded
boy, and so by and by, thinking OF
things, 1 forgot where [ was, and
skated on like q machine, scarcely
hearing my own movements or the
trees cracking with the frost in the
forest; and so when another sound
broke on my ear I didn't stop to
figure on it, but it fell in and became
part of the tune I was whistling and
part of the creaking of my skates
against the thaw ice.
Wolves?
Why, of course it was wolves. crash
ing along through the swamp beside
river, with a low growing and some
times q bark above the undertone OF
growls.
And there I was skating along and
whistling like the mOonstruck school
boy that was.
Suddenly, like flash of gunpowder'
/ woke to the reality of my position.
Fifteen miles of river before me. Fifty
starving wolves behind me. Good ak
in hand, good skates on feet. Youth
and strength and 2OOO yards in my
favor. That wasn't so bad after all.
Twas opposite an opening in the
forest Just then, and, looking at my
watch 1 saw that it was $50. 1 had
come eight miles in little over an
hour. andI reckoned that the wolves
had been behind me for two miles. /
increased my pace to about twelve
miles an hour, and listened to hear If
they still gained.
Yes, there was no doubt of 1t; they
we're coming closer.
I increased the pace to about four
teen miles an hour and listened again.
The sound of the gslloping did not IN
crease in volume for few minutes,
but after that they slowly began to
draw up again.
II was evident that Twas their game,
and il was race for life and death. l
had covered about two miles since first
realizing my danger. The wolves must
have gained 500 yards and now they
were coming forward at top speed,
overhauling me at every bound. There
was no more time for calculations. 1
threw the throttle down among the
oil cans, az the engineers say, and
started off at my best racing speed.
The moon was out highly again, and
7 WAS clear of the forest l had de-
veloped almost the speed of an express
train; nv skates scarcely seemed to
touch the ice. 1 was flying in the air
rather than skating. Trees, brush
and stumps went by like birds, and
the low fields and woods took On the
revolving aspect which every child has
seen while looking from the window
of a moving car. I was almost dizzy
with the motion, and bent my body
low to avoid the rush of air against my
ewes. as we'll as to gain the utmost
speed possible.
And as 1 looked back now I could
see the wolves chasing along the
margin, straining every nerve to over
come me, and they were succeeding,
and every bound brought them closer.
1 had gone four miles more, and less
than 400 yards separated us. At the
same rate of progress 1 could go five
miles further, and then the wolves
would pull me down, still seven miles
from home.
1 began to gasp out some prayers,
and then something in my heart told
me to skate faster. / Put out another
effort, and when my body responded
to the impulse of the mind l felt
astonished. Ny pace had increased
TO an extent which I would never have
believed possible. To-day 1T seems
like a miracle to me, and, strange to
say. / never tired. Ny wind, thai
was weakening, came back pains that
were growing in my side and stomach