Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-02-21


young man. You'll have to stop hero
with me, Solange. If you don't, the beast
will eat me-
stop with you. Let me have your gum
She took up the weapon, shook out the
discharged cartridge and put in fresh
one, and they both waited anxiously.
1.-TWO hours, perhaps more passed. Tho
moon, still invisible, had risen above the
horizon, for the sky reflected confused
light, which became brighter each minute.
Laurent was feverish-he shivered and
groaned. Solange, benumbed with cold,
standing up with her back against the
tree, began to get drowsy.
"All at once kind of whine or howl,
like that Of dog chained up at night,
made her jump. In the semidarkness she
saw two fiery eyes. 1t was the wolf
Laurent tried to get up and take the
gun, but the pain was too great, and he
fell back again into sitting position with
groan.
"'Make ready, Solange, he cried Aim
straight between the eyes, and don't fire
too soon.
"Solange raised the weapon to her
shoulder, took aim and fired, but the kick
of the gun made her miss the animal
Nevertheless, scared by the report, it fled
along the road and was quickly out of
sight. A little while afterward they heard
it bowling in the distance, and it was an
swered by others.
1.-The moon now emerged from behind
the trees and lighted up the whole Of the
forest, and terrifying sight met the eyes
of the lovers. Within gunshot were five
wolves, seated on their headquarters, like
dogs, across the path, while another,
holder than its fellows, was slowly maxi
ing its way toward Laurent and Solange.
"'Listen to what l tell you, Solange,'
said Laurent. Take aim at the one which
Is coming toward us. If you can manage
to knock him over, the others will cat
him, and we shall have rest while they
are doing it.
1.-THE wolf continued to advance slowly.
They could SEQ its red eyeballs, it's bones
showing through it's dull, ragged looking
coat-so thin was it through hunger-and
its open mouth with the tongue hanging
out.
Rest the butt of the gun we'll in the
hollow Of your shoulder said Laurent.
Now let him have it!'
Bang! The wolf gave jump in the
air and fell dead without sound. The
Others rushed away as hard as they could
and disappeared in the brushwood.
Run to the wolf, quick, Solangep ex-
claimed her lover. Drag it as far up the
road as you can. There is no danger-the
others won't come back yet
"She ran to the dead wolf, but he called
her back when she had gone few steps,
eve ought to cut off the head, you
know, SO as to get the reward
Have you got knife9' she asked
Yes, here In my belt
y 1t was hunting knife with short
handle and wide blade. She took it, and
running to where the animal lay she cut
off its head and dragged the carcass by one
foot over tho slippery ground as far away
as she could and returned to Laurent with
the head.
what Laurent had foresecn took place.
The wolves, frightened at first by the
death of their companion, came back--all
five of then-when they smelled blood.
By the light Of the moon the two young
people saw the group of wolves struggling,
fighting and rolling over one another in
their efforts to get full share of the prey,
of which they devoured every scrap.
Laurent began to suffer terribly from
his broken leg. Solange, whose nerves
were giving way under the strain, was
vainly endeavoring to struggle against ia
tigue and drowsiness Twice the gun
nearly fell from her hands
Having finished their meal, the wolves
began to come nearer to the young people.
The girl fired once, twice, at random in
their midst, but her frozen fingers trem-
bled, and the bullets went wide of the
mark At the report Of the gun the brutcs
scurried away along the road for some
short distance, where they stopped for a
few minutes and then came back.
Laurent and Solange knew that it was
all over with them then, and that they
must perish. The girl lot the gun fall to
the ground, but not for an instant did she
think of abandoning her wounded lover
and saving herself by flight. She lay down
upon the frozen ground by his side and
drew one end of her cloak, which she had
wrapped him in, over her own benumbed
limbs, and putting her arms round him
she laid her head against his check. Thus,
outwardly frozen by the cold and inwardly
burning with fever, they both waited for
death
Strange fancies took possession of their
disordered minds as they lay half uncon-
scious. 1t was once again summer time,
and they were wandering through the for
est decked with summer verdure, enjoy,
ing the lovely June evening. Then the
trees and hedges became suddenly bare
and the forest covered with snow, upon
which stood out clearly mass of moving
forms with blazing eyes and gaping
mouths, mass which grew larger every
minute and drew nearer to them to devour
them.
but fortunately neither Laurent nor
Solange was destined to die in that aw
full manner. Providence-I believe in
Providence my boys-ordained on that
very morning was returning through
the forest in my cart from Saint Bonnet.
le-Desert, where had been to attend
very urgent case. was driving, while
my servant, holding loaded gun ready in
his hand, was OH the lookout for wolves.
No doubt the bells on my horse frightened
the brutes, for we did not see single one.
When we reached tho tree at the foot of
which the lovers were lying, my horse
SHE'D and SO drew my attention to them.
| jumped out, and aided by my man lifted
the poor things, unconscious and stiff
with cold, into the CART covered them with
everything we had in the way Of rugs and
made my way as quickly as possible to
Ursay. ! did not forget to take the VOLTS
head with me.
ut was about o'clock, and the day
was breaking, when we reached the vii
lage. We were met by large party, con.
sisting Of the men employed on the farm
of M. Roger Duflos, and about half the