DANGEROUS COMPANY. 49 



ness of impending danger, he suddenly awoke with a 

 cry and looked around. The moon had gone down 

 behind the forest, and objects in the open space were 

 scarcely discernible by the feeble light of the stars, 

 which were veiled behind a whitish vapour. 



The fire had burned low, and threw a dull glow upon 

 the trunks of the trees in its immediate vicinity, leaving 

 all beyond wrapped in the unfathomable gloom of the 

 woods. An armful of brush soon caused the fire to blaze 

 up brightly; and by its light Pierre saw at a little dis- 

 tance five dusky gray forms which he knew to be 

 wolves probably those which had passed in pursuit of 

 the cariboo. Failing to overtake their quarry, they 

 had returned to the camp; attracted, most likely, by the 

 body of the bear, as also, perhaps, by that of their com- 

 panion, both which lay at a short distance from the fire. 



At the sight of the freshly -kindled blaze they slunk 

 out of view behind some bushes ere the hunter could 

 seize his rifle. It was probably the consciousness of 

 the presence of these dangerous animals which ren- 

 dered Pierre's sleep' broken, and impressed him with 

 an undefined sense of peril. Strange, that our dor- 

 mant faculties should be influenced by intangible im- 

 pressions from without, which in our waking moments 

 might fail to secure our attention ! 



He did not again venture to sleep, but kept up a 

 good fire, at which he sat, having his rifle in readi- 

 ness, while his eye constantly sought the spot where he 

 had seen the wolves disappear. 



