Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-07-31
DAILY SHORT STORY
An Intended Sacrifice.
(Original.1


was hunting, and an intimacy sprang
up between the two young people
which ended in love. When Alexis
father heard of the attachment he for
babe his son ever to speak to the girl
again under pain of being disinherited.
This naturally led to secret meetings.
One afternoon Vera went to the wood
to meet Alexis by appointment. She
| waited a long while at the trysting
place. but her lover did not come.
Fearing some misfortune, she walked
toward the Demidoff home. She had
gone but a short distance when she
saw Alexis horse nipping the grass
beside the road. Then her eye rested
on his master lying near by. The
horse had thrown him, giving him u
broken arm and a sprained ankle.
AS soon as Vera came up the two
consulted as to what should be done.
Vera proposed to mount the horse and
ride for help, but the animal refused TO
be caught and ran back toward the
DemidOff estate. Vera did what she
could to make her lover comfortable.
Then night came on.
| Presently they heard a distant bark.
Vera, who was holding her lover in
her arms with his hand in hers, gave
convulsive clutching of her fingers.
Both knew the sound to be the baying
of a wolf.
1t was far distant, but it reminded
them that there were other wolves
scattered through the wood. Indeed,
it was not long before they saw within
/
Goals of fire.
Vera had had time to prepare her
self for this. She knew that Alexis
could neither stand on his feet nor
hold a gun, except with one hand. and
that the left. Disengaging herself
from him, she seized his rife, which
she had taken the precaution to re-
cover, and waited for the wolf to draw
nearer. When he had come within
proper range she raised the rifle to her
shoulder and fired, aiming between
the eyes. The wolf, whose head was
only cut by the ball, gave a yelp and
dashed away.
'Draw the shell, quick" said Alexis.
''He will be back presently"
Vera drew the shell and, taking
cartridge from Alexis belt. fixed ii in
the rife and waited. Alexis, who was
a splendid shot. begged her if the wolf
returned to hold the rife for him and
let him fire with the gun against his
| left shoulder. Vera consented and
they took the position required, to see
how it would work, but Alexis was
Obliged to sit up, and was SO faint that
he did not dare try the experiment.
When the wolf came back there
were four pairs of glaring eyes in
stead of one. Vera had lived all her
life in a country infested with wolves
and knew that when one was killed
the others would eat the carcass before
pushing on. Selecting one pair of eyes
for she could see nothing else of the
wolves-she was about to fire when she
felt her hand tremble. She paused
and, turning, kissed her lover on the
lips. That kiss strengthened her
nerves, and, again aiming, she fired,
and a wolf dropped dead.
While its fellows We're scrambling
for the food Vera drew the shell Of
the exploded cartridge and inserted
another. But this unequal contest
could not last. The four wolves We're
|
lovers knew that as soon as the dead
wolf had been devoured there would
be another rush which it was hopeless
that they could withstand. Vera to
gain distance took hold of Alexis under
the arms and dragged him back as far
as she was able; then, taking the rifle.
she stood before him, waiting for the
wolves to finish their meal.
Most Of the carcass was consumed.
She could hear few wolves still pick
ing at the bones, while one or two, she
fancied, were licking their chops One
pair of eyes appeared in the middle Of
the road glaring at her, and in n mo-
ment she was sure they were drawing
nearer. She raised her rife, aimed and
pulled the trigger.
The cartridge did not explode.
Vera realized that the end was at
hand. Throwing down her rife, she
deliberately advanced to offer herself
a sacrifice to delay her lovers death.
At the moment there were q clatter
Of horses hoofs before her and a shot.
In an instant the wolves had vanished.
Horsemen came up and found Vera
standing in the road some distance be-
fore Alexis In the darkness they
would have run her down had she not
stepped aside. They were a party of
the Demidoffs. Alexis horse had gone
home without his rider, and they had
come out to search for him.
Alexis was taken home and insisted
that Vera should go with him. Demi
doff, the father of Alexis, questioned
Vera, who told the story, leaving out
her intended sacrifice.
"Why were you so far in advance of
my son, unarmed, when. you were
foundT he asked.
Vera hesitated, then replied:
cit was plain that one must die.
II could delay the wolves there was q
chance of help coming for Alexis. 1t
was also possible that their hunger
would be appeased with my body and
leave Alexis untouched"