The daily Alaskan., 1908-09-08
The Stranger Girl.
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tor!ginaLl

A gVuub bAA uob ONeA oSN cAbeSI years old entered Russian village and inquired fer conveyance to the nearest railway station. There Eb5 In her face none of that free from care look natural to girls of her age, but serious, rCsolute expression as though she were intent upon some great purpose. She had no baggage except a leather travelling bag, which was noticeable, for she was A,t of the peasant class, who are often too poor to have any clothes except those on their backs, but ono of an intermediate people between peasant and noble,
 It happened that there had been a wedding sn the village, and the groom was about to take hls bride to his farm some versts away The journey lay in the direction of the railway, and 1t was agreed that the stranger girl should be permitted tO accompany the bridal party and be driven on be- yond the groom's farm to the station Several friends of the young couple were going to see the bridal couple to their new home. Just as they were about to start a man entered the sledge without an invitation The groom objected, whereupon the man showed the badge of ! government of ficIal, which sllenced any further re- fuSal.
 It was in the springtime, but the snow had not vet melted. The air was cold and penetrating, and the travel CTS were all wrapped in fur robes. But they were & gay party. cracking their jokes and chatilng the newly mar. rlcI couple. Only two persons sat mute-the government official and the stranger girl-though theIr rigid de meanor had no effect in dampening the spirits of the others. But present. ly, on coming to a wild tract that they were obliged to cross, they suddenly ceased their merriment. From the forest came a sound mutIled by dls, tance, but none the less terrIble-a sound known only too well to the oc- cupants Of the slCdge as the distant baylng of wolves. The horses threw up their heads in fright, then set or at a gallop. The groom reached down under the seat and, not finding what he looked for. turned pale.
 "The arms" he exclaimed. "Whcrc are they?"
 He looked at his young men friends succcssIvcly. None had put in thc weapons. Each had expected some one else to do so. They had been lcf, behind.
 Presently from the right and rear a dark mass came through the trees like black water pouring in before a rising tide. There it joined on the road and became pack of wolves. There was but one weapon in the party, and that belonged to the government official It was a revolver with six shots in lis chambers. Its possession could not be considered a chancc-it was hardly even hope. Its owner drew it cooked 1t and when the wolves came within range fired at the leader and rolled him over. X few of the pack bounced upon the dead wolf while the rest came on. The official fired the six shots at intervals, with each shot killing a wolf. and when he had done this he had finished his defense. The party were at the mercy of the wolves Though the horses were tearing along at frantic speed, the wolves were drawing nearer every moment When they had come to a distance of about fifty feet the stranger girl rose from her seat, opened her satchel, took out a steel ball the size of an orange and, poIsinG t in her right hand, said
 "I give my life to save yours. This man." referring to the government of 1cial, twill see that l disappear from rhc world The stroke intended for . tyraDt heaven wills shall go only to . puck of wolves"
 SAc threw the ball deliberately, and it came down near the center of the pa.k. There was flash. an explosion. md where the wolves had been was a "acant spot around which carcasscs md bits of carcaSses were spread on Nc snow as if buttered with a huge
 nlse. A few lay moaning in agony while few more llmped or dragged themselves away.
 The party had been saved.
 All turned to the stranger girl, the ride and her girl companions throw Ing their arms about her, the men selz. Ing her hands and covering them with kisses. Then. when they had given full expression to their gratitude, they
 turned to the government official, who sat mute.
 What Is your intention with regard to our prcscrver?" asked the groom.
 "She Is my prisoner"
 Inform on her at your perilr'
 If l don't Inform on her win be at peril equal to any you can inaict She was reported as being in correspond. ence with rcvolutlonists at the capital | was, sent by the minister of the in- terior to shadow her If l fail to re- port her l will be arrested, taken to St. Petersburg and executed"
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