Werwolves

Rhine is the favourite river of nymphs and sirens, to whose irresistible and fatal fascinations so many men ha

any other visitant from the Unknown. But of these werwolves many of the best authenticated cases have been told so often, that it is difficult fo

en and the Werwolves

early summer of the year 1840, when Schiller, slipping down, sprained his ankle and was unable to go on. T

woods are full of charcoal-burners' and wood-cutters' huts, so that if you walk straight ahead for a mile or two, you are very l

sheath-knives. At last he came to an open spot hedged in on all sides by gloomy pines, the shadows from which were beginning to fall thick and fast athwart the vivid greensward. It was one of those places-they are to be found in pretty nearly every country-studiously avoided by local woodsmen as the haunt of all manner of evil influences. Hellen recognized it as such the moment he saw it, but as it lay

in my anxiety to escape a conflict with the brute I climbed this tree. As I descended one of the branches gave way, and I

took off the bandages and wrapped them round again. "There," he ex

a short distance from here. Let us hasten thither now, and my daughter, who is very strong, shall go back with you and help you carry your friend. We are not rich, but

llen said, la

course, you will say it is all humbug, but, believe me, very quee

ore, "if I wish anything at all it is that my wife were

wife?" the st

ep at the children in bed before retiring to

" the stranger ejaculate

s, too. Marcella, Christina, and Frederic

xchange. My name is Wilfred Gaverstein. I am an artist by profession, and have come to live here during the summer months in order to paint nature-nature as it really is-in a

words before he had reason to alter his tone. "Great heavens! do you hear that?" he cried.

is arm through that of Hellen, he hurried him along. After some minutes' fast walking they came in sight of a neatly thatched

sure he was not dreaming. "God in heaven, what's the meaning

hes," Wilfred rejoined calmly. "See,

he midst of his family, who, rushing up to him, implored him to e

id, feeling them each in turn to make sure it wa

beds in Frankfort, and then suddenly we found ourselves here-here

s all like a hideous nightma

Her hair, which was yellow and glossy, was parted down the middle, and waved in a most becoming fashion low over the forehead and ears; and her features-at least so Hellen thought-were very beautiful. Her mouth, though a trifle large, had very daintily cut lips, and was furnished with unusually white and even teeth. But there was a peculiar furtive expression in her eyes, which were of a very pretty shape and colour, that aroused Hellen's curiosity, and made him scrutinize her carefully. Her hands were noticeably long and slender, with tapering fingers and long, almond-shaped, rosy na

two bedrooms, small but exquisitely clean. There was a double bed in one, and two sing

squeeze in one bed-they are neither of them very bi

ng the three children on the cheeks in turn,

ing, stammered out her thanks, and the party then descended to the kitche

about to seat himself beside his wife and children. "Marguerite will go with you, and on yo

d little ones, who tearfully implored him not to

startled her; she edged timidly up to him; and he had to exert all his self-control, so eager was he to clasp her to him. In a strained, unnatural manner he kept up a flow of small-talk, eliciting the information that she was an art

to where I left Schille

t loud and clear in the silence of the vast, moon-kissed forest. But there was

len's arm. "There! right in front of us, lying on the ground. T

ke Schiller," Hellen sa

hiller, for there was now very little left of him but the face and hands and feet; the rest had only too o

. "I fancied I heard them several times. Woul

d, and she turned her head away

him now. I will gather the remains together in the morning, and with the assistance of your father see that they

e they had reached the open clearing-the spot where he had encountered Wilfred-his passion completely overpowered him. Throwing discretion to the winds, and oblivious of wife, children, h

g herself free. "Aren't you ashamed of such be

uty has bewitched me, and I would risk anything to have you in my arms."

told me so. Consequently, since there seems to have been some excuse for you, I forgive you, only--," but before she could say anot

s I never loved a woman before, and if you were to ask m

aid. "Don't you know this spot is full of supernatural influenc

llen said. "I wished when I

And again she looked at him in a way that sent all the blood in his body surging wild

sing them to his lips-"I wish every obstacle removed that pr

ted breath fanning his cheeks and nostrils. "Won't you wish

ours always-yours to do what you li

fully. "I will kiss you of my own free will," and throwing her arms round his neck,

red it, loud screams for help rent the air, and Hellen, to his horror, heard his wife

arted to rush to their assistance. But Marguerite willed otherwise. With a dexterous movement of her feet she got in his way and

are mine, mine always, remember, and if I choos

er, rounded limbs he had admired so much possessed sinews of st

rgles, all horribly suggestive of what was taking place, but it was no

on the forehead and giving his cheeks a gentle slap. "Go-and see what a

or of their respective rooms, with big, gaping wounds in their chests and throats, lay his wife and children;

Spirits of the Harz Mountains. But be you the Devil himself you shan't escape me

ed, and Hellen, losing his balance, fell heavily

rm either Wilfred or me. We are phantasms-phantasms

llen obeyed-and as he gazed into her eyes a

ong, golden hair. "Sleep on it and dream of me. Do not look so sad. I shall come for you without fail, and by this sign you shall know when I am

in it swam before Hellen's eyes, the floor rose an

me animal. Much puzzled, he put it in his pocket, and suddenly recollecting his friend, set out for the place where he had left him. "I shall soon know," he said to himself, "whether I have been asleep all this time-God grant it may be so!" His heart beat fearfully as he pressed forward, and he shouted out "Schiller" several times. But there was no reply, and presently he came upon the remains, just as he had seen them when accompanied by Marguerite. Convinced now that all that had taken place was grim reality, he went back along the route Schiller and he had taken the prec

veral of the biggest and strongest hounds he could hire-for he could get none of the villagers to go with him-spent a whole day searching fo

His wife and children had been found dead in their beds, with their throats cut and dreadful wounds in their chests, and the police had not been able to find the slightest clue to the murderers. With

e was a mere coincidence; but-he knew better. Besides

aw till a few days prior to his death, when it began to