The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-02-03

ciuueI LbaL peIE dAIeE ga II~l" !
would not be May more days Of !
safet7. They reached the post,
h1aey.r, without accident, except
tha. c Of "LizA's" skate straps
broke and had to he repaired, which
caused some little delay. They
ate lunch at the store, aud after LOAD
ing the sled started back about three
o'clock.
They felt almost Immediately that
the warm day had told on the already
s,fteaing ice. Every few strokes
there was cracking beneath III II
feet and an almost imperceptible
swaying movement Of the frozen |
mas. "You had better skate ahead,
eliza" gaid "B %" at last There
10 to much weight With 10th of US
a I'D '4f PleSI yt you f5G f taEe It awhile
later"
TINS arrangement was made with
good results and for several
miles they progressed with LITTLE
alse for alarm. Then suddenly
there came something which made
B1b's heart Jump. 1t was 10 move
mem or sound from the ice. From
the bank above and not 50 far be-
hind came short bark, then pro-
longed howl, followed by another
and another. They were full four
miles from home. The January sky
had cloudtd thickly and it was
growing dusk on the river. lie had
said that he was not af aid Of wolves,
but there was something in this dis
mal chorus and gathering night that
made him hound forward aud over
take his sister.
"The wolves." he gasped. "a
pack OK them.
The girl seiz d the rope without a
! word and in spite of the cracking
and swaying ice they lsaned forward
together at the top Of their speed.
Bat they were MT quite swift
enough. They could tell by the
voices that the wolves had descended
to the river and realized that they
were gaining. Bob drew his father
revolver and fired two shots over his
shoulder. This checked the howl
ing for 3 brief moment and they be-
: eyed the pursurels had hesltated
Perhaps in this way he could keep
them back long enough. lie had
four more shcts and they were still
more than four miles from home
Suddenly Liza stumbled End gaze q
low cry. lie strap had broken agail
!. AID her skate hung uselessly en- hel
b., foot.
g "Oh, Bot. we're lost" she cried
y spanking now for the first time.
/. The boy whipped out his kulf'
Y and cut Ihe strings that re- the
c burdIes on the hand sled.
J. "Get on!" he commanded, as h
g thrust the packages aside
Ie The gill obey d and in anothe
le moment they were speeding ava
p agaiu, though less rapidly than be
2 fore.
5s The girl on the sled looked bacI
up the river where she could see
l. dark mass in the dimming light.
sr "Glve me the pistol, Boa" sh
ri called.
q lie reached it back to her, an
n when the dark mass drew nearer sh
G, fred into it. There was q yelr, an
At a brief pause. Then the pack move
e. forward again, bowling now an
t. then in-eoncert. When they reache
er the packages they paused again an
e seemed to be fighting. This gay
a the fugitives a little better star
a. and Liza felt encouraged. The
re the dark mass amernshing on agai
re and her heart sank. She had thre
n moe shots in the revolver, and whe
IN the band was a few yards behind 81
ed fred one of them and a little late
D. the second. Just before she fire
ID the third she felt the ice beneath tt
II, sled crack and give alarmiugly. St
he realized that they were on riff
,h where the ice was always thinne
lg than elsewhere, owing to the awif
ne ness o the water, and she breathe
es easier as they passed beyond it. TheI
w for the wolves were close upon then
It. she fired the third shot, and tt
Q fierce howl that followed told that
in had gone home. There was Che
adj rus of yelps and snarls-they wei
It fighting over tae wounded ANNA
)k Aud then, the girl could scarcely b
lieve her eyes, for the dark howlin
;" mass suddenly disappeared, and 81
Jaw the splash which told that tt
fe. thin ice on the rifle hsd broke
ed through.
"Bobv 'Bobv" she called, 'sthey',
=. drowning.'
d. "What? What did you say" cam
the painting reply.
! "Ihey're drowning, | tell you we'
saved,"
ut The sled slackened and the be-
as tottsred, H was at the point of e,
n. haustlon.
re "Drowning."' he gasped.
'lf 1t was true. The weight Of Il
lie. struggling mass had been too muc
n for the weakened ice, and the swi
water beneath had swept the hungl
a creatures to death. Two manage
sr to struggle ont and disappeared ovt
the bank.
ooh, Bob! It's like Phaaroh's hosts
d. cried Liza, Historically. "We're d,
y, livered from the Eyytians.."
They were, indeed. Bob listene
Id a moment then he said
Il Lets 60 up on the other banl
he and go back and see if we can fin
I'd any of the things"