The daily Alaskan., 1912-12-11
Saved In the Nick of Time
By RUTH W. MALTBY

A settled ln Pennsylvania, later emigrat- ed to western Virginia and, having worked out their lands there, moved on down the Ohio river to appropriate the virgin soil of Kentucky,
 Among these movers was family named Martin, the father and mother being elderly persons, their elder chil- dren grown. A daughter, Hester, was A girl of eighteen. They settled not far from where Bowling Green Is now situated
 The war of 1872 was being fought and soon after the arrival of the Mar fins in their new home the battle of New orleans was fought and won by the Americans, or, rather, the woods men of the west, among whom the hunters of Kentucky were conspicu- ous The war had been ended by treaty before the battle, though the news of peace had not yet got across the Atlantic. and soon after It was over the troops came marching home.
 A company of Kentuckians recruited from the region about where the Mar tins lived was disbanded, and a young man, Abner Armstrong, who hau marched away and returned as a lieu tenant. was among the number At the time of his appearance John Bart let. a man of forty years of age. had asked Martin for his daughter Hesters hand. There were many mouths to feed in Martins family, and Bartlett was the only sultor who had establish cd himself In the new country; there fore Martin persuaded Hester to marry him.
 But before the wedding had taken place along came the soldiers whose rldes had won the battle of New Or leans. Young Armstrong was a strap ping. daxen haired, blue eyed boy with every appearance of manllness, but withal an engaging smile Hester look ed at him and surrendered,
 There is but little reason in youth. Instead of confesslng to her father and her betrothed that she had not known what love was and that, having dis. covered 1t in the young soldier, she had changed. Hester resolved on the most desperate course to be conceived of. She told Armstrong, who was as deeply smitten with her as she was with him, that she could never face either her father or her betrothed to tell them of the change in her and the only course left for them was to run away. It was not likely that one who had but recently helped to win battle should show the white feather.
 The only means of conveyance in those days in Kentucky was a horse Armstrong had but one animal, but 1t served for both. They started on an afternoon, and their flight was discoy- cred about @ o'clock the same night RartIet was notified, and when he learned how he had been treated he said:
 "T'u go after 'em and bring 'em back Then I'll tell 'em they kin git married for all me as soon as they like,'
 With this he mounted his horse, bis rife slunC to his saddle and pistols tn his holster. for no one went about un- armed fin those wild days, and, assum- ing that the fugiHves would make for the Ohio river, he rode straight north ward. About midnight he saw lurid light on the clouds to the northeast ward. and. thinking the fugidves had biyouacked and built fire, he turned his horses head in that direction.
 Suddenly he refined in to a stand and listened. A distant confused barking fell upon his ear. He shuddered. A nicture came before his minds eye painted by the hand Of experience. A Kentuckian, he knew that the barks he heard were those of wolves ana that one of the ways of fighting wolves was by fire He saw the girl he had hoped to make his wife and the man she had eloped with besieged by hun gry beasts. ~
 Urging forward his horse, guided by the light. the barks growing more uis- tinct as he approached. he finally burst fin upon the very scene he had pictured Armstrong and Hester oc- cupied the center of a circle of Ire tbey had built to keep otf the pack. Armstrong's ammunition bad been ex. pepded. and whenever wolf snarled foo close he beat it back with the bar rel of his rife or with a burning brand. Hester. like true daughter of the forest, was bravely arranging the wood they had gathered to keep 1t burning,
 Having ridden as far as bis terrified horse would go, Bartlett dismounted and aiming at wolf. shot him dead. Then. while the pack were devouring their companion. the rlde was reload cd and another wolf was brought down. Drawing nearer to the besieged couple, Bartlett called upon them to run toward him while he covered their re- treat They started, Hester in ad. vance. The wolves sprang after them and just as their leader was about to spring upon Armstrong. who was mov- ing with his face to them, Bartlet shot the beast dead. This gave Armstrong time to make good his retreat, and be- fore the wolves had finished eating the carcass already slain the three per