444 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



He says he amused himself in this way for an hour, and 

 made them tear to pieces every white wolf that had joined 

 the chase. This sport delighted him so much, that he 

 became careless, and narrowly escaped falling. He only 

 saved himself by dropping his gun, which they seized, and 

 almost tore its stock to pieces before they discovered it 

 was not eatable. I saw the dents of their teeth in the 

 barrel afterwards. Darkness was coming on, and they 

 seemed not in the least disposed to go ; and he felt that 

 he must tumble out from the faintness of hunger and 

 fatigue, if he was compelled to spend another hour in that 

 tree without food. He had become entirely reckless now, 

 and loaded up his pistols, determined, if he must fall, to 

 bring death with him for some more of them. 



Suddenly he heard a distant yelling on the prairie, like 

 that which had sounded so dreadfully behind his flight. 

 The wolves sprung to their feet in a body, and with pricked 

 ears, listened. He looked out towards the prairie, and could 

 faintly discover a large buffalo bull plunging along over the 

 plain, surrounded by a great herd of wolves, who were 

 tearing him at every jump. He could even hear the low 

 bellowing of the creature's agony. Another victim ! and his 

 thirsty guardians started to join the chase. One after another 

 they went; while those who staid behind would turn their 

 heads to look back wistfully at him, and whine and lick 

 their dry chaps. When the chase come in sight though, 

 off they started in a body with savage yells. He fired his 

 pistols after them in farewell, and killed one of the hindmost, 

 while another, with a broken shoulder, kept on yelling with 

 the pack. 



He knew he would be safe now if he could get a fire 

 kindled before they returned, if they did so at all. Before 

 they were out of sight, he had reached the ground, and 

 with trembling eagerness proceeded to light a fire with the 

 help of his flint and steel, which every Ranger carries. He 



