A Run for Life.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 147, 22 December 1871, Page 6

A Run for Life.

-* fixwas a race for life. Following hard upon the fleet skater were a troop of wolves as fleet. Charles Vance heard their breathing, ,the short impatient sniffs, the regular patteivof sharp feet upon the ice, like a click; The scene lay in Canada. The moon sailed through drifting clouds, now partially obscured, then bursting forth in a Hood of silvery, light. At one side was the. dense pine forest, broken by clumps of leafless oak; and hickory, and winding in and out as it followed the course of the river; on the other, the. wide snow-covered .. plain., A mile yet before a house could be reached* and in that time Brave as he was, Mr. Vance shuddered. At twenty-eight there was so much life before him. reached a point where fortune began to smile upon him; and fcr the past six months his leisure hours had been bright with glowing air-castles, which all had Rose Ardley for their daydream. For her sake it was that he had uidder- , takgn, this, perilous journey. Faster! faster! This turn showed him the fierce gleaming eyes, that repeated - themselves until there seemed to hundreds. ," Rays of lurid light flashed out; lolling scarlet tongues, that thirsted for a draught'of blood,-anda dainty morsel of flesh. A mis-step, a half-hidden hillock of ice to trqv-uxe unwary traveller, a moment lost, and he would be in the power pf these ravenous animals. No wonder his pulses quivered, or that he shrank from h so horrible a fate. More' than once he had gone up and down the river Jfor pleasure. More than once there had been a gay party ; girls in their pretty skating costumes;, bulb sweetest of all was Rose, her golden curls blown aboutby'the wind, her cheeks brilliant, : her purple eyes dilating with enjoyment. Bright and coquettish was she, fond of teazing him until his patience was almost exhausted; but'a sweet, loving girl in the midst of it., At midsummer she was to be , hjis wife. He had extorted that promise from her, though he would fain have taken " her long before. And yet, only the other morning they had fallen into a trifling dispute about this very visit. She wanted him to go up this Thursday evening; he did not see his way clear to do it conveniently.

"Thursday is pay-day," he said, alluding to his works and workmen. " I never can get-away on Thursday night until dark. My horse has fallen lame, too, Rose. I cannot ride him after to-day." " You once thought skating up the river a mere\ pastime," replied Miss Ardley; and her tone was a trifle sharp and haughty. "In _|he day-time, and with company. That makes a difference;" " Oh, very well; if you care so little to come, there's no more to be said." And she turned away with an air of superb indifference.

" Rose, it is not that. I can come up on Friday, and stay until Monday." " But Thursday night is Eleanor's birthnight. I thought of the pleasure to her to have you among our guests. Don't put yourself out, however." j "ITL-jcome if I can," concluded Mr. Vance, shortly., His Vj tone was cold, and his eyes wandered over the waste of snow. "Very well," she gaily said, "I shall expect you, Good-bye." And she kissed to him the tips of her dainty fingers. fie strode down the.path, unhitched his horse with* je*rki and went riding over the road, never once glancing back. Perverse Rose Ardley. was privately peeping after him. rather enjoying than not the semiquarrel. " $U not fcb ; tifff- ihidl not get me there

on Thursday evening," he answered to himself in his annoyance. - . • But ere Thursday evening came his resolve was broken, after the manner of lovers, and he meant to go; " I must skate . up," he said. " The night's clear and frosty." "Hope there'll be no wolves abroad, Master Vance," said the brawny Enlishman Hugh, one of his workmen and warm admirers. " Stainsly shot one over by the bridge the other moraing. You'd better take a pistol." " I'll trust to luck and my good skates," answered Mr. Vance, laughing, rather ridiculing the notion of " wolves."

He started. The night, as he had observed, was clear and frosty; very bright and cold. Half his journey had been accomplished when he heard a shrill, sharp cry echoing from the woods. Then another, as if in answer, and one at a distance. For a moment his blood curdled in his veins. What were these crys ? Ah, what t what but the wolves ? Nearer came the cry, and nearer; as it the dreadful animals scented their victim. He glided over the ice like lightning, his strides quickened by the first click he heard from his pursuers. On, first, as rapidly as possible, in a straight line, for not a second was to be lost. Every nerve and limb was strained to its utmost tension. A mile, perhaps ; and if he had to double : . A horrible flash of despair almost paralysed him. That was certain death. Why had he been so heedless as to disregard sage Hugh's warning? But he had never seen a wolf during his sojourn in these Canadian wilds.

Faster ! faster ! Turns that frightfully lengthened his journey, but gave him a moment's respite, for his pursuers were by tMs means thrown off their track, and were some time in recovering speed. The moon shone out brightly. Every tree seemed outlined against the sky with painful distinctness ; here a gnarled old oak, that had been riven by some fierce bolt; there a clump of gleaming evergreens that mocked him in their security. And now the river widened. Hardly a week before, he and Rose Ardley had enjoyed a gay frolic of skating on this very spot. Was she still vexed with him? Oh, if she could but know !

In imagination their red tongues seemed to touch him. One of them seemed to hurt himself in some way, for there came a sharp howl of pain. The pursuit was stopped for an instant, and then they came on faster. Charles Vance's limbs were weak, his pulses throbbing from exhaustion, his very brain reeled. The fiery eyes seemed to scorch him with their lurid glare, and now he could hear the rapid, expectant breath. So near safety, and yet . A despairing cry broke from

his lips. Rose, Rose ! Farewell to her, to happiness, to all.

Rose Ardley, the centre of a gay group of cousins and friends, was this self-same evening doing her utmost to be attractive. She was fascinating at all times and seasons; but when she used a little effort could make herself doubly so. She had forgiven Charles Vance a dozen times since that last angry morning. . He would be sure to come early, she complacently told herself, and be duly penitent. After all, Charles Vance was a brave, noble fellow. She thought she would not flirt one bit that night with anybody else. The guests all arrived—all but Mr. Vance. Rose wondered. Had he been really vexed, and was he staying away to punish her? Well, let him stay. She should not mope or wear the willow. Lovelorn girls were always absurd. So Rose Ardley was the gayest of the gay. They had a quadrille ; some of the elder ones sat down to cards, while a number of the younger ones went outside, and immediately were startled by a yelling

sound from the rirer. They could not make it out at first.

"Oh, by heaven, what fools we are!" suddenly exclaimed George Ardley, a light breaking on him. " I see it all. Vance lias skated up on the river and been followed by a pack of wolves! One was killed a day or two ago, and several have been'seen prowling round. Run for your lives, friends. Get something, and come to his assistance." .

Greorge thrust on his cap and coat, and slung his rifle over his shoulder. Two or three followed suit, and the rooms were in a whirl of confusion. "Let me go, too," Base almost shrieked. "My child, there may be some mistake," said Doctor Caltran, soothingly, alarmed at the consequences of his sister's vision. " Do, pray, be calm." "No, there is no mistake," she answered, hysterically. "I told him to skate horse was lame—l dared him to come. Oh, merciful heavens, forgive me!" She was in a perfect agony of despair. The horrible vision her cousin George's words conjured up made a more vivid one in her brain. Her face, that had been so brilliant a short time before, was now the picture of anguish. She could not help thinking that if any evil had befallen him it was clearly her taUt. In the confusion and crowd she passed quietly up stairs, got her shawl and hood, and stole out unseen. Along she sped like a shadowy wraith, and was on the river as soon as the men with their rifles.

Hark! what was that? A sickening despairing cry—a wail of mortal agony. Rose recognised it for his voice—for they were close upon him now. Yes, the cry came from Charles Vance. With that one despairing burst he gave up hope, and turned upon his horrible pursuers. In the moonlight, his eyes glared back to those fierce balls, and there was a deathly pause. The suddenness amazed the unreasoning brutes, but the foremost crouched to spring. A ball went whizzing by, so closely that Mr. Vance felt the hot air upon his cheek. Then a yell ensued, ending in a howl of maddening pain. Another report, another—footsteps, voices—yet he did not stir.

" Oh, Charles I Charles!" and the next instant Rose Ardley lay senseless at his feet. At first he could not think, could not speak; the utter surprise and sense of deliverance overwhelmed him. He knelt down on the ice, trembling in every limb, and the rest came thronging around. The discomfited enemy were retiring with savage cries, leaving two of their number dead behind them.

They went home slowly. Mr. Vance's strength was all but exhausted. Angry mutterings followed them from afar, but there was no real danger now. Rose, reviving to consciousness, struggled away from her cousin's protection. " Let me walk—l am quite well now," she said, with a touch of her old imperiousness. And so got to Mr. Vance's side.

"Oh, Charles, I have been so selfish and cruel. Will you ever forgive ?f 9 Charles Vance's answer was to take her arm within his, and press it to his side. She broke down with a sob. " Hush, my darling! God has interposed to save me." Hose burst into tears. " Charles, as long as I live I will never be capidcious again," she whispered, " no, not even when I am your wife; I will try to be a blessing to you instead of a trouble."

And he kissed the sweet lips for their fond confession. So it all ended well* », ; But the wpnderful escape of Charles Vance fromihe peril of the wolves is talked of m Canada to this day. "'"'