The herald., 1911-03-02

y
back to my hunting lodge"
Gretchen dashed away after the
horse and soon returned leading him
by the bride Dismounting, she en-
deavored to assist the man to rise, but
in the effort to do so the pain Of bro,
ken leg threw him into a faint
Gretchen waited till he had come back
to consciousness, when the two con-
suited what should be done. They
were very near a wood road II did
not seem possible for them to make
any move. Their only plan was to
wait for some woodcutter to come and
remove the injured man on his sledge
An hour passed. II was coming
dark, and yet no one had come. The
invalid was growing respondent and
somewhat terrorized at the prospect
of spending the night in the forest
Then the girl asked him If be would
consent to stay alone while she went
for assistance. He agreed to the plan
She mounted her horse and was about
to ride away when a distant bark was
heard. She waited, listening. The
bark was answered by one near by.
II cannot leave you" she said
There are wolves near at hand"
Bischoff blanched. But. my dear
lady," he said. IF there are wolves
you must go. | cannot consent that
you should perish because must per-
ish."
She looked at him with a surprised
expression. not seeming to understand
him. Her ancestors had not been ac-
customed to fear any danger. 1t was
a part of their lives. And as to leav-
ing one of their companions to suffer
death to insure their own safety. such
a thing had not occurred to them. 1t
did not occur to this faraway offspring
that had never known any surround
fngs except those In which they had
lived She cast quick glance at the
horses. as much as to say, They will
suffice to feed the wolves il there are
not too many of them" Then she
took I'D Bischoff's rife and examined
1t. 1t was no breechloader Of the
present day. Every charge had to be
rammed home before another could be
fired. A small rifle was hanging from
the saddle of her horse. She unlock
ed it and laid 1t beside the man. Then
she led her horse some fifty yards
away, tied him to tree and did the
same with Herr Bischoff's horse, plac-
ing the animals on different sides OF
them. All these preparations she made
as q general expecting an attack would
dispose of his means of defense. The
last preparation was the gathering OF
what wood she could find and the
lighting Of a fire.
1t was quite dark before the first
wolf was seen. and then only two eyes
like Goals Of fire appeared. Frightful
neighs were heard from both the
horses as the brutes sprang upon them.
The fire kept off the wolves. though
Gretchen stood before 1t, her rife in
hand, and If one of them came too
near she picked him off with unerring
aim, reloading Immediately. There
was plenty of powder and ball at
hand and so long as 1t was not neces-
sary to fire rapidly the ammunition
could be utilized. Bischoff sat with
his rife ready to shoot. while Crotch
en- reloaded. and with the two. the
fire and the horses to satisfy the
wolves hunger the prospect was fair
that is. If not too far prolonged.
Herr Bischoff always referred to that
period from the fall Of darkness till
daybreak as the horrible night" For
twelve hours the girl stood defending
him, and then when a light began to
permeate the forest the wolves were
seen stealing away between the trunks
Of the trees. An hour later man
with a horse and an empty sledge
came by on his way for wood. Bisch-
Off was lifted on the sledge and driv-
en- to the schloss.
One morning Carl Bischoff. who was
attending lectures at the university,
received letter from his father Civ.
ing an account of his adventure and
telling his son that he was at an old
tumbledown schloss not far from the
lodge with a broken leg. He desired
Carl to come to him and as soon as
he was able to be moved to take him
home. Carl first went to the lodge,
where he communicated with Crotch
en-, telling her that she had saved
and was nursing his father and ask
ing her not to recognize him (CarD
when he appeared.
This matter having been arranged
between the lovers. Carl appeared at
the schloss. When he had embraced
his father and they had rejoiced that
he bad been spared to his family the
latter said:
"Carl, have new scheme for you"
"Oh, father" said Carl, you are
always having new schemes! What is
this onep
"You remember the marriage plan I
had for you. Well, I have changed
my mind. This girl who has saved me
is in truth wild looking thing
Very"
"But she has descended from great
people. I think it quite possible your
mother can take her and make a lady
Of her. Now, wish you-if can get
her for you-to marry her. 1t is quite
likely that by repairing this venerable
pile and your taking the additional
name of Gehrenstein at her fathers