Year: 1877

oegln MS return al 50 early an nOur
that he might reach home before
the short days end, especially be-
cause of the danger of wild animals.
Inc severity of the winter had made
the wolves more ventlresome and
dangerous than they bad been for
many years. Mr.. Devins had lost
several sheep and hogs, and deemed
it unsafe 70 any of his family to be
far from the house at night.


Allen armed himself with his LIGHT
rife, put some biscuits and cold
meat in a pouch strapped to bis
waist, mounted one of the strong
farm horses, and set out on his Jour.
ney. The road through the forest
was be, ,er than he expected to find
it, as the snow had been drifted off,
but at the turns, and in the thickest
part of the wood, his horse founder
ed through drifts more than breast
high; and more than once Allan had
TO dIsmount and beat a path ahead.
Therefore, he did not reach Inmap's
till two O'Clock, and, by the time he
had helped Esther about her work.
assisted her young brother to get in
a good supply of wood and made
things more comfortable for the in
valid. it was almost sundOWn. He
stoutly refused to stay for supper,
declaring that the luncheon still in
his pouch would serve, and started
just as the short twilight came on.
He was brave lad, and, with no
thought of peril, went off, kissing
his hand gaily TO Esther.


1t took him an hour to traverse
the first three miles, and then he
came to a stretch of comparatively
bare ground leading through his
fathers old clearing, almost TO the
bill back of Mr.. Devin's house. He
was just urging old Bob into a trOt,
when long, clear howl broke upon
his ear; then another and another
answered from east and south. He
knew what it meant. 1t was the cry
of the advance guard of a pack of
wolves.


The bowling seemed nearer, and
came swiftly nearer, as though the
wolves had found his tracks and
scented their prev. Old Bob trem-
bled in every limb, and seemed pow
erless to move. Allan realized that
he could not, before dark, reach
home through the drifts ahead, and
the increasing cold of the advancing
night would render a refuge in a
tree-top probably as deadly as an en-
counter with the pack.


Presently there came a CRY, shrill-
er and sharper than before, and AL
Ian, looking back, saw a great,
lean, hungry looking gray wolf
burst from the underbrush INTO the
road, followed by dozens more; and
in moment the road behind him
was full of wolves, open-mouthed
and keen in chase. Their yell now
seed notes of exultation, for the lead
er of the pack-the strongest, feet
est, hungriest one among them-was
within a dozen yards of Allan, who
was now riding faster than old Bob
had ever gone before or ever would
again. Excitement made the lads
blood boil in his veins, and he de-
termined to show fight. The moon
had risen, and ;he scene was almost
as light as day. Now he could
count the crowding host of his enc
mics, and, just as he broke from
the forest road into the clearing, he
turned in his saddle aud fred. The
foremost of the pack rolled over and
over: the rest gathered aronnd and
tore their leader in pieces.


By the time they resumed the
chase Allen was a hundred yards
ahead with his rifle loaded. He de,
termined to make a running fight of
it to the hill, where he was sure of
meeting his father, or could take a
tree and shoot until help came.
This had hardly flashed through his
brain, when right ahead of him, a
detachment of the pack sprsng into
the road end answered with double
wells the cries of the rest coming up
behind. The horse wheeled sudden
Iy, almost unseatlng Allan, and
dashed across the clear toward the
wood; but he had not taken dozen
bounds when a wolf sprang upon
him. Old Bob reared and fell, pitch
ing Allan nearly twenty feet ahead,
] and was covered with wolves before
he could regain his footing. That
was the last of poor old Bob.


But Allenl What of him3 When
he recovered from the effects of the
shock he found himself over head
and ears in snow. He had no idea
where he was, but struggled aud
plunged in vain endesvors to extri-
! cate himself, until at last he broke
into a space that was clear of snow,
but dark as Erebus, damp and close,
Feeling about him, he discovered
oyer his head logs resting slanting
against the-upper edge of a pit, and
then he knew he was in the cellar OF
the old house his father had built,
and which had been burned down
nine wears before! The cellar was





full of snow, except at the corner
rooted over by the fallen logs, and
Allen, bursting through into the
empty corner, was as secure from
the wolves as though seated by his
fathers ireside. 1t was not nearly
rs cold in there as outside, and he
found dry spot upon which he lay
down to think.


He was in 70 danger of freezing
to death, his food would keep him
from starvation q week at least, ana
Allan concluded that, with the nrst
glimpse Of dawn, his father would
5s IN search of him, and, following
the tracks. find old BOb's bones, and
0nioLIv rescue him from his predic-
9ment He reasoned wisely enough,
bnt the elements were against him.
Before sunrise 3 furious storm of
wind and snow had completely OBJ
Iitsrated every trace of horse, Iider
and wolves.


At home, as the night wore on,
the anxiety Of the family had in
creased. While they were Watching
the gathering storm they heard the
long dismal howl of the wolves eolh, s


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