THE DANGERS OF FIRE HUNTING. 69 



our feet; but they did not go away permanently, and 

 were back in a moment. 



" Fire the other barrel, dear Poke, but try and fire it 

 the other way — point it down." 



Bang ! sounded the pistol, and I heard a thump on the 

 ground, as the poor fellow threw away the now useless 

 weapon. 



" Hold on, Poke ; take heart, my dear boy." 



" Oh, it is easy enough to say take heart, but when the 

 tree bends a little more than usual, I am within a foot of 

 these hell-hounds. Oh, dear !" 



At this moment, I thought I saw a light flashing 

 through the foliage. A moment more, I was sure of it. 



" Poke, Poke, they are coming — some one is coming." 



" Where — where ! Oh, dear, I can't turn my head, 

 lest I slip off," 



" There they come ; I see them — three torches, and 

 men and dogs." 



" God bless them !" I heard Poke say, faintly. 



I was afraid he was fainting. " Hold on. Poke," I said, 

 and screaming to the men, I called them to hurry. On 

 they came, at a run. I recognized them as they came up 

 with their torches flashing through the woods; they 

 were Jackson and his men. He had been in our camjD 

 only the day previous, and told us he had a sheep farm 

 in this neighborhood. " Quick, this way," I shouted — 

 "the wolves! the wolves!" He answered me. How 

 blessed a thing was the sound of a human voice in our 

 necessity. They came under the trees we were in. 



