CAPTAIN DAN HEXRIE. 441 



He now remembered that these weird and infernal brutes 

 always collect in large numbers, to follow in the wake of a 

 great prairie fire, and tear the carcasses of those animals 

 that are killed; or band together, to chase and drag down 

 those that come through alive, but scorched, blinded and 

 staggering, as was his poor horse. They become very 

 savage with blood, impunity and numbers, and very few 

 creatures which have escaped from the hungry flames can 

 escape from their yet more ravenous jaws. The creature, 

 at other times, is utterly contemptible for its cowardice; 

 but he shuddered when he called to mind the dreadful 

 stories he had heard of its deadly fierceness on such occa- 

 sions as this. 



"My God!" he moaned aloud: "Wasn't it bad enough 

 for me to pass that hell of flames back yonder ! and have 

 I only escaped that to meet a fate a thousand times more 

 hideous ?" 



He looked at his horse ; the animal was now, too, partially 

 refreshed, and began to be conscious of the new danger as it 

 gazed around with staring eyeballs upon the eager and swiftly 

 gathering crowd that howled along the bank. He snorted 

 in affright, and lifted his head with a wildly mournful 

 neigh, that seemed ^ to poor Dan the most piteous sound 

 that ever rung upon his ear before. There was some com- 

 fort though, the horse had life enough in him to make one 

 more run for safety. 



He mounted, and after having fired his rifle, with deliberate 

 aim, into the thickest of them, charged right through at full 

 speed. They leaped at his feet and attempted to seize his 

 horse's legs, but the animal was too mortally frightened for 

 them to impede his way for an instant. Through he trampled, 

 and away across the prairie he flies, snorting with terror, and 

 moving with as great speed as if perfectly fresh ; and away, 

 too, in pursuit, swept the yelling herd of wolves. There were 

 more than a hundred now, and seemed increasing in numbers 



