Year: 1873



 hldeous night-cries, into the deep forest

 Wolves were bowling around him il

 every direction, but he paid no atten

 t1on to sounds that were so common

 However, he was soon compelled tc

 give more heed to these animals thai

 was by any means pleasing or expected

 He had now made nearly half of his

 Journey, and the light opening ahead

 through the trees showed him the "olc

 clearlng," as it was called, through

 which his path led. The wolves hac

 been getting exceedingly noisy for the

 last half mile; and, to the indescribabls

 horror of the old man, he could heal them gathering about him in the crack. ling bushes on each side, as they trot. ted along to keep pace with his rapid steps. The woods very soon seemed to be literally alive with them, assthey gathered in packs from far and near.

 Wolves are cautious about attacking human being at once, and usually re. quire some little time to work them selves up to the point. That such was the case now proved most lucky for poor old Dick, who began to realize the horrible danger, as dark object would brush past his legs every few moments with snapping sound like the ring of steel trap, while the yell- Ing and pattering of the wolves in- creased. Dick knew enough of the hab- its of the animal to be aware that to run would insure instant death, as the cowardly pack would be sure to set upon him in body on the instant of observing any indication of fear. His only chance was to keep them at bay by preserving the utmost steadiness until he could reach the open ground before him, when he hoped they might leave him, as they do not like to attack in such places, He remembered, too, that an old hut still stood in the middle of the clearing. and the thought that he might reach that haven gave him some comfort.

 The wolves were becoming more au- daclous every minute, and the poor old fiddler could see their green eyes glar- ing death upon him from all the thickets around. They rushed at him more boldly, one after another, snapping as they went past in still closer proximity to his thin legs-indeed the frightened fiddler had at length to thrust at them with his fiddle to turn them aside. In dolng so the strings were jared and the despalring negro took some hope when he observed that at the sound the wolves leaped aside with surprise. He instantly drew his hand harshly across the strings, and, to his infinite relief, they sprang back and aside as if he had shot amongst them. Taking advantage of this lucky diversion in his favor, and as he had now reached the edge of the clearing, he made @ run for the hut, | raklng his hand across the fiddle-s strings at every jump, until they fairly roared. The astonished wolves paused for mo- ment on the edge of the clearing, with their tails between their legs, looking after him; but the sight of his flying form renewed at once their savage in- stlncts, and with loud burst of wells they pursued him at full speed. Alas for the unlucky fiddler! had he been caught now, it would have been all over with him, even had his fiddle shrieked more uuearthly shrieks than that of Paganini.

 Luckily the old man reached the hut just as they were at his heels and slam ming the rickety door behind him, he had time te climb out on the roof, where he was comparatively out of danger. II say comparatively, for the perch he now occupied was too rickety to make it de- slrable, except by contrast with the inn mediate danger from which he had es- capped.

 The wolves were now furious, and, thronging the interior, leaped up at the | musician with wild yells. The poor old sinner was dreadful1y frightened, and it required his utmost activity to keep his l 1egsfrom being snapped by some animal more agile or enterprising than his con- treres. Wild with terror as he was, poor old Dick had managed to cling to his fiddle through it all ;; and remem- bering that it had saved him in the woods, he now, with the sheer energy of desperation, drew his bow shrieking across the strings, while, with his feet kicking out into the air, he endeayored to avoid the fangs of the foe. Instant silence followed this outburst, and Dick continued to produce spasms of sound such as man in his hysterical condition would naturally conceive.

 This outbreak kept the wolves quiet for moment or two but old Dick soon learned, to his increased horror. that even wolves are too fastidious to stand bad fiddling, for they soon renew ed the attack more furiously than ever. This was too much for the instrument tallst, and most especially when the head of a great wolf was thrust up be- tween the boards of the roof, within 0 few inches of where he sat. He gave himself up now for a gone darkey; and with the mortified exclamation, "Bress God! who dare ?" he fell to Adding " Yankee Doodle" with all his might unconsciously, as the dying swan is said to sing its own requiem. With the first notes of the air silence commenced Orpheus had conquered The brutes owned the subduing spell and the ter ror-stricken fiddler, when he came to- astonished at the sudden cessation of hostilities-beheld himself surrounded by the most attentive and appreciative audience he had ever played to for, the moment there was the slightest cessa- tion of the music, every listener sprang forward to renew the battle, and set his pipe-stem legs flying in the air again.

 But he had now learned the spell and, so long as he continued to play with tolerable precision, was compara- lively safe. The old fiddler soon forgot his terror in professional pride. He was decidedly flattered by such intense appreciation and, entering fully into the spirit of the thing, played with Q gusto and effect he had never before surpassed or even equalled. Even the wedding, with it's warm lights, it's sweetened whiskey, was forgotten for time in the glow of this new profession al triumph.

 But all pleasures have their reverses on this earth and, as time progressed, he began, with all his enthusiasm, to feel very natural symptoms of cold, fatigue, and even exhaustion. But it | would not do-he could not stop mo- ment before they were at him again and there they consistently sat, that shaggy troop of connoisseurs, fdgeting on their launches with lolling tongues