Ml'SIC HATH CHARMS. 63 



edge of the forest ; and profiting by a favourable oppor- 

 tunity, he glided into the open, still working away at his 

 violin strings, and moving in. the direction of the deserted 

 cabin. 



The cayeutes, with tail between their legs, halted a 

 moment, and watched their intended victim flying before 

 them; but their devouring instinct soon regained the 

 ascendant, and, uttering a unanimous howl, they sprang 

 forward in pursuit of the unhappy negro. If by any 

 chance the brutes had overtaken Dick in their mad out- 

 burst of rage, he would in vain have had recourse to his 

 fiddle. By running he had destroyed the charm, and the 

 cayeutes would not have halted to listen to him, had he 

 played like the ancient Orpheus or the modern Paganini. 



Happily, the old man reached the hut just as the 

 wolves were at his heels. With a hand rendered doubly 

 vigorous by the imminence of the danger, he pushed open 

 the door, sprang inside, shut back the door, and secured 

 the latch with a piece of wood which he found lying 

 within reach. Then he hoisted himself, though not 

 without some danger to his apparel, to the summit of the 

 open roof, of which the joists alone remained in their 

 places, supported by the wooden blocks at the four corners 

 of the walls. 



Old Dick was now comparatively out of danger ; but 

 the cayeutes manifested a fury which every minute in- 

 creased, and threatened to become terrible. Several of 

 them had found their way into the hut, and conjointly 

 with those remaining outside, sprung at the fiddler's 

 limbs, which were barely protected by nimble movements 

 and manifold kicks from numerous bites. 



In spite of his alarm and anguish, Dick had not for- 



