The National tribune., 1897-11-18
THE uOhVES OF p0DO1IA.
BY DIR. J. II. PORTER.

eighty versts i'm a tarantass, groaned
Won BrunOw. struggling among ms iufS
"Vave Won, hv chance. any bones that re-
main unbroken b, this diaholica machine?
Let's get out said Fritz. and see
whether. with our injuries, il : worth while
going on over such roads to hunt wolves.
Swear al the driyer-do; that 5 the oniE
form of address he understands.
Roads in Holy Russia, his companion
replied ARE uts. When one pair get too
deep. they make another, and send me
Government Il batch OF estimates and re-
ceipts for a new highway. Thus pay comes
i'm course oi time, and these deNout people
thank their patron saints.
Never mind my brave curaSslcr,' re
turned the elder traveller, who now stood
on the ridge they had been ascending. II
know anything about wolf countries, thlS
view is very promising.
The prospect those Austrian officers con-
templated was wild and desperate enough
certainly. For anything one could see be
meath that slate cOlored sky. the old Ia
clans or still Older NeCri might have heen
living there yet. Far Below the turDld
Bug plowed its way through stratum OF
The 'ihlacl< Garth al Podolia spread over
primeval rocks. Here and there dark, I'M
fenced fields of withered Stuhhle sur
rounded few widely scattered clusters OF
low. gray buildings. Beyond this, nothing
hut forest and waste. \ sense OF yaStnesS
and unfamiliarity perVaded the scene. ii
tended TO arouse all those latent, half
superstitious fancieS that most people nn-
consciously accumulate. Apparently, any
thing might happen in place like this.
''Holai Alexis you vo1ki-drinking
devil" shouted Fritz. Come up here and
tell Us where Ivan Ivan itch lives. Speak,
pig. and lie not!
aBarin." the driver answered placidly,
being totally ob!ivious to anything uncom-
piimentary in this eXhortation, "the Little
Father lives there. in that break among
the hills your Excellency sees yonder. His
house is Versts and verStS away; but ne
bos' Bog pomoZhet, do not fear, God Will
help Us: we shall get there tonight. on
started the tarantass. drawn by three Ia J.
broken horses that Alexis urged on-thlS
worthy having Just paTtaken OF Russian
peasant : dram; not three fingers, as
Americans say. but an imperial hall pint
OF pure spirits. According TO his promise,
however, the shades of evening had
scarcely begun to fall before lights twinllled
ahead, and shortly after, amidst d chorus
90 canine voices, the travellers descended
al Ivan Ivanitchs door. Ii was OPENED
Immediately, letting out a blaze OF rudy
light and one came forth to welcome them
whom Fritz likened 10 the Rimtursur-the
frost giant-when he told of these things
one evening long afterwards on the Pratzen
al Vienna.
This was an old-fashioned Pcdolian
farmhouse" said he; "a long, low hall OF
massive unpainted timber, dark with age,
and set about by many detached buildings
in the same style. But how pleasant il
was within that quaint, low -ceilinged room,
with its deep windows, its paneled walls,
hung with sylvan SpOliS and arms Tor the
chase Great logs blaZed on the ample
hearth, whose glow lighted up Ivan 'itch's
antique picturesque belongings. Every
thing was ancient: the whole place looked
as If il might have come cut OF the sagas.
Later as we sat at our hosts heavy oaken
supper table. and then gathered again by
his cheerful fire, while fitfuI gusts mOaned
and TOared around there was nothing that
did not contribute TO keep up the Illusion
of another age.
yellow haired Olga sang native ballads
songs that come from a peoples heart and
seldom find their way abroad Her father
and Uncle talked. Donnerwetter!" said
Won SchleSsIn2er, medltatIVeiy, watching
the bright beads that rose in his long
stemmed beaker OF Johannesburg, what
strange talk il was-half matter of-fact and
the rest supernaturalism, bat both believed
i'm with equal earnestness. We heard OF
ells that outlived generations; witch-bears,
wild inexplicahle forest dramas, but most
about wolves, the dark gray beast that in
folk lore and tradition has stamped its
fierce image upon the gloomiest most
ter u stricken and despairing imagination
Of mankind.
These are the last November days, ,
Vasii said. 4 Snowstorm might come
at any time, and that would drive wolves
down from the mountains. We should
have them bowling around our cattle mems
every night, and ii the weather becomes
really severe, it would make travelling dan
gerous i'm these remote parts. Woe to the
man who has far 10 go fer refuge when a
pack is on his trail. No living creature
can long outrun wolf. Yes, many and
many wayfarers neyerreturn, he continued,
sOemnly and some Of those who escape
have suffered beyond endurance
''lears ago, when wolves were worse
than now, because everyone did not have
gun IN those days, there was man.
Pavel PeuOvitch, whose hair whitened in
a night. He also went mad for time but
got over that Payel peddlcd goods and
once, while on his way hack 10 Ihmerinta
with empty bags, wolf howled i'm the
forest as il grew dark, then another and
another, until his heart sank, for he knew
the pack was gathering. Wolves don't
live in packs, Nasili explained, they are
solitary, though many may infest limited
range. But when one sights or scents
prey that is beyond his single strength
then this beast sets up an unearthly cry
which every other wolf understands and
each passes the signal on. IL does not take
hong TO form pack; vet this only holds
together while the hunt is up.
saint Michael he calculated, have ]
not heard and seen such things? And the
peddler, likewise, both saw and heard: fCi
as he fed amain, having a good horse
every now and then the forest had cleal
space where his pursuers showed them
selves, galloping silently, after their first
howiings. These bruteS go in full cry ol
run mute according 10 no rule, but as tho
devil prompts them.
"'Payel could see death come closer and
closer. | think he became distraught "a
this time, for his account Of what followed
was confused. Anyway, refining i'm unde
tree he stood on the saddle and drew
himself up TO a limb. Next day many far
ners going together 10 purchase Winte
supplies, found horse, furniture and bones
Shortly after they heard incohercnt rawlings
mingled with screams. and found Pavel
who thought the pack was still leaping a
him. Yes, your Exccllences q gray VOL
knows the power OF his eye, and wha
helplessness terror brings. Some, also. ar
worse than the rest; they do things whicl
are unspeallable. Many who were secur
have fallen into tlieir Jaws, for evil spirit
Of the forest gave them aid
This talk, as recall il" continued Capt.
Schlessinger, appears 10 have been omi
nous. Stall, we We're pleased at the time
poor Otto particularly. Scotch High
lander would have said he was fey.
Nothing could excel our sport durin
two days. Wild bears and elk there wcr
in abundance although bears Rad sougll
their Winter quarters. I'm The late twilight
some wolves were shot. for those creature
Of darkness do not show themselves muc
by day Won PuInog killed an immens
one. gaunt and fTightful. lie was delightec
hnu Oh tla.sr Ra.., IL