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Show BY GEORGE HORTON 1 1 Copyrighted, loa,- by Tht) Bobbe-Merrlll Company. , CHAPTER XL VI. ' Thus Invited, he could not refuse. In fact,-the moment his eyes fell on her, all his resentment vanished. Her gaiety, gai-ety, her coquetry, had disappeared. She was pale and sorrowful, an need it be said t more beautiful than ever. What if she had loved Komanofff Romanoff Ro-manoff was dead now, and when a man dies he pays all debts. Why should not Hardy enjoy these few hours in her presence, before taking up again the burden of bis life at Stryetensk. Suppose she was only using him as a convenience! Even so, it is an honor to. be a mere convenience for sueh a woman. He had heard, too, in a vague way, that it was her testimony that had freed him from prison.. "Yes," he, replied gTavely, "I will go. I am overwhelmed by my good fortune. for-tune. - It was too great an honor to be hoped for that I should ever be of service to your Highness again." The mere presence of this woman V transformed him from the merchant Into the courtier and polished gentleman. gentle-man. . "You forget," she said, while the ghost of one of her merry smiles lighted up her beautiful features, "that such things are to he said In French." The maid. Hardy scarcely noticed. She ram out at the last moment, her head covered with a fur hood that almost entirely en-tirely obscured her face, and took 'her place in the bottom of the sledge. There were long desolate stretches of snow, with here and there a house, the roof covered with snow, nestling among the white hills. . The bells on the galloping horses crashed musically, and their shod hoofs clattered and rang on the ice. "We are going almost as fast aa the train," remarked the Princess. "Much faster than the trains which we have Just left," replied Hardy, "which are not going at all!" "Do you know," said Romanovna, "'that not so very many months ago. It would hsve been necessary for me to make the entire Journey from 8tryetensk to Khabarovka by sledges? There are relays at the different military stations, and one cojnld really have traveled the distance In f Vomparatlvely short time, if one found river frosen all the way." ill should have been plessed." ventured Jttiy, "to serve as your Highness' escort j the entire distance." The Princess vouchsafed no reply to this, and he had not the courage to glance at her face. They passed occasional patches of forest, for-est, the limbs etched very black and distinct dis-tinct against the background of snow. They had left the town about two, o'clock and It waa half past three now. ' "There must be a farmhouse somewhere some-where near," observed Hardy, "If your Highness feels cold. I saw a large dog running among the trees a moment ago." Just then the driver pointed with .the whip toward the woods and crossed himself. him-self. The Princess also mafle the sign of the cross, and said quietly. "Those are wolves! May the holy Virgin Vir-gin protect us!" Two large gray animals with ' bushy tails, that were dogs and yet not dogs. Were seen flitting among the' trees. Their tongues hung out of their mouths, and as they glanced from time to time at the sledge and its occupants, their teeth could be plainly seen. "Have no fear." said Hardy, "they ere so few they will not dare to attack." At that moment a third Joined the two and ran with them. They ran easily, flitting along as lightly as thistle-down driven by the wind. The driver arose in his seat and cracked his whip over the horses' heads. "Be careful, Ivan." said the Princess, "do not tire them out. How far is It yet to Petrovska" "Twenty versts," he replied, "we shuold make it in something over an hour. If the horses hold out. It was near here over a vear ago that Farmer Gogol was dragged from his sledge by wolves and devoured. I had not heard of many being seen this year. The Virgin defend us!" ' R-nr at this moment one of the animals still retaalned motionless, speechless, as though paralysed with terror. The Princess Prin-cess sat erect, looking straight ahead, the seal of a sublime courage set on her pale, noble brow. The blood of the Romanoff did not fear to die. She turned to the man at her side and smiled sweetly more sweetly than he had ever seen woman wo-man smile before. "Forgive me, my friend." she said, "for bringing you into this fearful danger." "I thank God," cried Hardy, "that I am here and nowhere else!" His voice rang out with sudden fervor. With a sob of Joy. "Thank you, my friend," said the Princess Prin-cess simply. i "May I shoot' now?" asked Hardy. Several of the wolves were close to one of the horses, and were looking up at the animal's throat. This was the horse that waa running free: he was crowded against the other two of the team in his terror. i "Not yet, not Quite yet." replied the Princess, "they become maddened when they smell blood." ' A moment later a wolf darted suddenly in and leaped at the throat of the horse, which reared, snorted with terror, and then bounded ahead with a sudden burst of Incredible speed. ! Hardy arose, and leaning against the driver's seat, took quick aim and fired at this particular wolf, the one that had begun be-gun the attack in earnest. He fell kicking kick-ing and writhing on the ice and Instantly the entire pack huddled above and about him, snarling, snapping, scrambling, tearing tear-ing an Indiscriminate mass of fur and fury, teeth and hunger. "There are eleven shots in the magazine, maga-zine, and Ave in the revolver," said Hardy, who saw a ray of hope in this action of the wolves. "With care, ihey should last us to Petrovska. How far is It yet to Petrovska. Ivan? he shouted. About twenty versts." replied Ivan, "we should reach it in " Hardy glanced behind. The struggling, snarling mass was still there on the ice, but already several members of the pack had left it and were taking up the chase again. He stood watching them as they came on in a line, leaving the carcass one by one. In less than five minutes they were all back by the sledge again, and the low sun was shining on a white pile of bones, that could be distinctly seen, far bark on the river. "It doesn't take long," muttered Hardy, "If It must come." Then he thought of the Princess, shuddered shud-dered and breathed a prayer. And still the horses ran on and on; the sledge was light and they were winged with terror. Again and again. Hardy shot shot as never before and seldom missed. The fire of battle was In his veins that fierce and dsadly mastery of self that exalts a brave man when he both hunts and is hunted. "Have courage," he cried, "we shall reach Petrovska yet!" But now the chase took on a new and more dangerous feature. When a wolf waa killed, not all of the pack dropped behind be-hind to devour him. One, more bold than the others, sprang up at the back of the sledge as If to leap in, and Hardy, firing into the open mouth, fairly blew the fierce creature's head off. The flash and explosion for a moment terrified ter-rified the following pack and caused it to drop back. He turned and aimed at an animal that waa snapping at one of the horses, but when he pulled the trigger, no report ensued. His face blanched- as he dropped the weapon, and drew his revolver. re-volver. 'The shots in the magastne were all exhausted! In this moment's delay a wolf succeeded in fastening Its fangs in the horse's flank, and hung there, snarling. snarl-ing. The unfortunate steed leaped 'forward 'for-ward wit tvuch violence that the traces parted, and Vistantly all the wolves were tearing at hn, pulling him down. The Princess had Vever before heard a horse scream In tenvr. It is a sound seldom heard except in battle. "God have mrcy! God have mercy!" she groaned. "Have courage," cried Hardy, "he will soon be out of nla agony, and I think his death has saved our lives." The two remaining horses did not seem to notice the loss of their companion, as the sledge gilded easily over the smooth ice. They still ran nobly on, though they were reeking with steam. The sledge came to a bend In the river, and for a moment Its occupants lost sight of the wolves. "Perhaps they have given up the chase," said Hardy; "perhaps, too, they are satisfied with the horse. But the Princess shook her head. "They will never give over the chase," . she said, and, at that moment, a gray form flitted around the bend in the river: two, three, half a dosen, and soon twenty or thirty of the pack were again about the sledge, leaping at it and at the horses with sharp, short yelps and snarls, their red tongues lolling. their jaws flecked with blood and foam. "There! there!" cried the isvovchlk. pointing down the river, with the handle of his whip. "Petrovska! Petrovska! Bless the Virgin!" The rays of the setting sun fell full on the dome of a Greek church, hut it was a conspicuous ohject and far away. A wolf was hanging to the neck of one of the horses. Him Hardy shot, and. leaning over the curved dash, discharged his weapon into the body of another that was clinging to the other horse. "Ellzabetha," he said, turning to the Princess, his face white but- glorified, "that is the last shot. If there were but one more, we might reach Petrovska. Here, with death for a witness, I tell you that I love you. In the presence of death there Is no rank, there are no Princesses, Prin-cesses, no merchants. I love you, dear." She arose and threw herself on his breast. For a long minute they stood thus, clasped In each other's arms, lip to lip, forgetful even of death Itself. The wolves came on again. They ran snarling up to the rear of the sledge, for the last attack. Then the little maid, seated on the floor, arose from her bundle of furs and tore the hood from her head. The rays of the setting sun were shining In her face. "Look Into my eyes once more," she cried; "oh, let me look on your face again one long, last look!" Hardv raised his head. "Alsome! Wang!" he gasped In wonder and could say no mdre. "Farewell, mv beloved!" and her voice sounded like the voice of a priestess, chanting. "I give you to her and to happiness hap-piness I. who have loved you the most!" and she leaped among the wolves. A path beaten In the snow led up the river bank. Into the outskirts of Petrovska. Petrov-ska. and tip this the tired horses dashed, their noble run at an end. Several of the wolves followed even to the top of the bank, glanced at the houses and the villagers swarming from them, and slunk away. One of the horses, his strong heart bursting, fell dead beside his mate. With tears streaming down his cheeks. Hardy stood erect In the sledge, holding the swooning Princess In his arms. (The End.) emitted a long, mournful howl, the most dismal and terrible sound In nature. "I beg of vour Highness not to be " commenced Hardy, but she laid her hand on his arm. and whispered: "Listen!" ' . Far In the depths of the forest an answering an-swering howl was heard, then another, farther away, and still others, both up and down the river. .One of the. wolves, flitting along the L't'k lifted up his voice, to be In turn A ytVyed by a sporadic chorus from the .The're were now six wolves In sight, drifting out and In among the trees like grav ghosts. Soon one of these tripped lightly through the snow down the river bank and trotted along after the sledge on the ice. like a faithful dog. "They show no signs of attacking, "Vhey'are famished." said the Princess, "but they are as patient as death, and as Intelligent as humans. They are too 'A second and a third Joined the two on the river, while the pack on the bank steadily grew, and noiselessly, save for an occasional call into the deeps for help. The maid sat motionless, without looking look-ing up or stirring. Hardy lifted a rifle from the bottom of the sledge.- -I could kill one of them now." he said, "and perhaps that would scare them 'iMs not time yet, .my friend," replied the Princess. "I shall tell you.- I am a Russian and I know when to shoot. You must not waste a single shot. Nothing would .cre them away." she added. The Isvoschlk was using all his strength o keep his horses from exhausting themselves them-selves in one wild dash. Snorting with fear thev were tearing down the long ribbon of ice at terrific speed. CHAPTER XL VII. The Gift of Aisoms. Not more than ten minutes - In all rouid have elapsed since the appearance 'of the first wolf, and they had already rathered In terrifying numbers. ' How far is it yet to . Petrovska?" 8B"Aboi?tatwenty versts." replied the man. "wecsn make It In an hour If the horses """Butthls g tne same answer that he gave before!" said Hardy, ' "He means that it is a long way. explained ex-plained the Princess. "Twenty versts about twenty versts! I fear the horses can "Bt" the wolves?" asked Hardy;, "will th"Theyt are very hungry." replied the Princess: "they could run forever!" ' At this moment the entire pack wheeled, as if at a word of command, and drifted oNtquely down on the Ice. Some ran be-1 be-1 the sledge, a couple of rods away, In those in the rear came up closer. I ugh the maddened horses were going i their utmost speed, their hoofs mak-V,ig mak-V,ig a confused, and Incredibly rapid clatter clat-ter on the Ice, the fierce, wild dogs simply drifted, drifted along, without the least seeming effort. The pack was evidently nearly complete now, thought an occasional occa-sional gray form would flit out from among the trees, stand and look with lifted head, and then Join the chase with long, easy lope. The little maid, crouched in the bottom bot-tom of the. .sledge and bundled in furs, |