The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-15
CHAPTER XIX.
BATTLE WITH THE WOLVES.

BATTLE WITH THE WOLVES.
let us get out of this hellish placer
cried James Douglas, so soon as he had
seen with his eyes that which lay with
in the bed chamber of the witch wo-
man, and made certain that it was all
over with Caesar Martin.
So the three msn issued out into the
gloom of the night and made their way
to the stable, wherein they had dis
posed their horses so carefully the
night before.
The door lay on the ground, smashed
and broken. 1t had been driven to
kindling wood from within. It's inner
surface was dented and riven by the
iron shoes Of the frightened steeds, but
the horses themselves were nowhere to
be found They had broken their hal
tiers and vanished. The three Scots
were left in the heart of the enemies
country without means of escape, save
upon their own feet.
But the horror which lay behind them
in the house of La AIefraye drove them
on.
Almost without knowing whittier
they went, they turned their faces
towards the west, in the direction in
dread lord of all the Pays du Retz.
MaIise. as was his custom. walked in
front. Sholto and the Lord James Doug
las a step behind.
A chill wind from the sea blew
through the forest. The pines bent
soughing toward the adventures. The
night grew denser and blacker about
them. as. with the wan waters of the
marismas on one side and the sombre
arches of the forest on the other, they
advanced. sword in hand, praying that
that which should happen, should hap
pen quickly.
But as they went, the woods about
them grew clamorous with horrid
noises. All the evil beasts of the world
seemed abroad that night in the woods
Of Machecoul Presently they issued
Forth into a more open space. The
oyrayish dark of the turf beneath their
feet spread further off. The black
blank wall of the pines retreated, and
they found themselves suddenly with
the stars twinkling lnfnltely emil ana
remote above them.
they were now. however, no more
alone. for around them circled and ech-
oed the crying of many packs of
wolves. In the forest of Machecoul the
Guardian demons of its lord had been
lei loose, and throughout all its hor-
ders the poor peasant folk shivered in
fhpfT heUS- or CEOuCDCu DGllliANl TIC W Ncth
defenses of their barred doors; for
thew knew that the full pack never
hunted in the Pays du Retz without
bringing death to some. wanderer found
dafenseIees within the borders of that
region Of dread.
It ,et US stay here said Sholto. eff
these bowling demons attack Us, we
eTe at least in somewhat better case to
meet them. and fight it out until the
morning than in the dense darkness Of
the woods"
which they found themselves they
stumbled against the trunk Of a pine,
which had been blasted by lightning.
II still stood erect, with its withered
ancbes stretching, bare and angular.
away from the sea. About this the
three Scots posted themselves their
hacks TO the cOrrugatiOns of the dead
stump. and their swords ready in their
hands to deel out death to whatever
should attack them
we'll might Malise declare the powers
IF evil were abroad that night At
times the three men seemed wholly
,-inred with deviiish cries. Yells and
bowls. as of triumphant fiends. were
borne to thei' ears upon the western
Wind. The noises approached nearer.
and presently cut Of the dark of the
woods shadowy forms glided and again
seet Cleaning eyes glared upon them
&C fhe wolves trotted out. and sat down
~ vide circle 10 wait for the full
1,9,Ister of the pack before rushing on
their prey.
Sbolte knew well how those in the
earvice of Satan We're able to change
themselves into the semblance of
-rolves. and he never doubted for
lament that he and his friends were
face TO face with the direct manifesto
+ions of the neither pit. Nevertheless,
csbolfo MacKim was by nature of a
etnI1t heart. and he resolved that if he
,sd to die Il would be as well to die as
become a captain of the Douglas guard
me blue leme Of summer lightning
,,oonentarily lit up the western sky.
,<,e men could see the great, gaunt
Jack of wolves sitting upon their
launches or moving restlessly to and
go across each other, while from the
denssr woods behind rose the bowling
~ fresh ieyies, Fastening to the as
eistance of the first. Sholto noted in
esrecial one gigantic she wolf, which
aopeared at every point of the circle,
and seemed to muster and encourage
the pack 10 the attack
The wiidfire flickered behind the jet
HACK siIhouettes Of the dense trees, so
that their tops stood against the pale