Year: 1866

Once again reloaded the fowling piece,
and found that all our ammunition was
thereby exhausted.


DO not fire" said Fritz, when L informed
him of the fact, till the last moment-re-
serve your fire for our last chance"


Z" Is there any?" L asked gloomily.


Zone, and one only Not far from this
in the woods hence-but l do not know how
far, perhaps not more than mile-is an old
hunting lodge; if we can reach it we are
safe If not we are lost.


On came the wolves-and they were many
and quite close upon the sledge.


Two terrific great monsters we're abso-
lutely just abreast of us, and were striving
to get ahead to the horses, who, poor brutes
could hear and see them, and tore away at
such terrible pace that even the swift
wolves could not gain upon us.


Fire fre!'' shouted Fritz; g fire and
aim well; for if those brutes reach the
horses, we are lost. 5"


fired barrel at the wolf on my left, and
over he went with bullet through his body
very nearly missed the second, but fortu-
nately the ball grazed the bone of his leg,
breaking it, and causing him to fall. But
several others took their places.


" Keep them off keep them off, shout
ed Fritz, but for one minute, and we are
saved. The nut is close by"


Frantically he fogged and shouted to the
horses, and desperately they responded to the
call


fred the two barrels of the remaining
fowling piece, and then, sticking my pistols
in my belt, shouldered my gun, and stand
ing up, struck right and left at the bowling
pack, which were now rapidly accumulating
on our rear.


The next moment and we pulled up short
at the hut.


q Fire your pistols right in their facesl"
shouted old Fritz.


did so, and had the satisfaction of seeing
the bowling pack fall back for a minute.


This gave Fritz an opportunity of jump
ing out and cutting adrift the horses, who
Immediately galloped off.


Now, sir, now - he cried, holding open
the hut door" haste"


Still holding the fowling piece by the bar
rel, and swinging it around me, leaped to
the ground.


Some of the wolves had dashed off in pur-
suit Of the horses, while others were be-
tween me and the hut.


struck viciously at the howling brutes
and rushed through them to the open door,
One monster sprang at my throat, but for
tunately, succeeded in striking him down,
and he was content with tearing piece, with
his horrid fangs, from my leg.


The next instant, faint and bleeding, we
were safe in the hut, and Fritz barred and
bolted the door, leaving the pack outside.


For moment or two they scratched and
gnawed at the door, and then dashed off to
join their companions in the chase after the
horses. Soon after we heard heart-rending
and piercing screams.


All, l thought So" said Fritz sadly,
. my poor horses! They can stand a great
deal; but when one comes to be torn to
pieces by wolves, it's no wonder they cry
out


1t was not long before the furious pack
returned for, having devoured the horses,
and apparently not half satisfied, they sur
rounded the hut on all sides, and nothing
could be heard but their horrible howlings.
We could hear them scraping, scratching,
and tearing the woodwork Of the hut with
their teeth.


Next they attempted to climb to the roof,
and soon some succeeded, for we could hear
them crawling about outside.


There was no chimney to the hut, but
merely an aperture in the roof for the smoke
TO escape.


The hut in which we had found temporary
safety consisted only of four walls, made of
rough but strong slabs of wood


1t contained a rude fireplace, and, fortu-
nately for us, there were still embers smoul-
derng. There was also little green brush
wood in the hut, which Fritz hastened to
cast in the fire. As it caught and burned
up, it gave rise to dense volumes of smoke,
which, pouring through the aperture in the
roof, efIeetually kept the wolves at bay.


But after time the smoke began to clear,
the green wood was all gone, and the wind,
which now was high, blew aside the smoke
from the hole in the roof.


In a very short time we perceived the
cleaning eyes and red mouth, half open, Of
a monstrous wolf looking down on us.


We struck at him with the butt-ends of
our fowling pieces, and soon brought him,
stunned and bleeding, to our feet


Fritz took a piece of burning wood,
mounted to the aperture and waved it
around


Wolves ike all wild beasts, are in mortal
dread of fire, and we soon heard them all
scamper off to the roof.