442 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTEKS. 



at every jump ; for as Dan glanced his frightened eyes around, 

 he would see them straitened out with speed and their mouths 

 wide open, coming to join the terrible route from every direc- 

 tion over the prairie. He looks behind him — they were close 

 upon his heels. The great part of them, particularly those in 

 front, and who seemed most fierce and ravenous, were scorched 

 nearly naked ; and with the white foam flying, their long red 

 tongues, their fiery glaring eyes, they presented the most 

 hideous picture of unearthly terror that ever mortal lived 

 to be chased by unless by the horrible phantasmagoria of 

 madness ! 



He fired his pistols back at them, but it made no difi'erence ; 

 they only yelled the louder, and came on the more fiercely, 

 while five joined their long train for each one that he had 

 killed. If his horse should fall or give out, they would both 

 be torn to fragments in an instant ! This appalling convic- 

 tion caused him to give all of eye and nerve that were left 

 him in the mortal fright to steadying and guiding his horse, 

 for the only hope now lay in him. He soon perceived, 

 however, that he was leaving the pack far behind, for there 

 is little comparison between the speed of a horse and that 

 of the prairie wolf. 



He now began to feel something of hope ; and as the 

 frantic speed of his horse placed yet a greater distance 

 between them, the unimaginable dread seemed to be lifting 

 from his life. Now he could not hear their yells, and could 

 barely distinguish, far in the rear, the long snake-like train 

 yet moving on in the relentless chase, over the undula- 

 tions of the bare plain. He sees timber ahead, and shouts 

 in an ecstacy of joyful relief, for then he himself at least 

 is safe ! He can climb a tree — and in the delight of that 

 thought, he has no time for thinking that his poor horse 

 cannot climb trees ! 



The horse sees, and is inspirited, too — for to all creatures 

 on the prairies there seems to be a vague feeling of safety 



