A Winter Night's Tale. 



from the snarling pack, we heard four sharp reports in quick 

 succession. Then all was still. Turning a sharp bend in the 

 creek, we came suddenly upon the scene. There stood our two 

 partners with guns in hand, staring at the overturned wagon- 

 box and a dead wolf; but no Swede was in sight. 



"Where on earth is Ole?" said I to the boys, as we came 

 up to them. 



"That is just what we are trying to decide," said Al. 



"Boys," I continued, "he was in the wagon, for we heard 

 him singing, and I am very sure, from the sound of his voice, 

 that he was too full to get far away, and you were on the 

 ground so soon after the smash that the wolves could not have 

 made away with him." 



"Look here, boys," said Charlie ; "when we came in sight, 

 these sneaking wolves were gathered around the wagon-box 

 and it may be he is under there." 



The moon shone forth brightly from under a bank of 

 clouds just as we tipped up the wagon bed. There lay poor 

 Ole apparently dead ; his head in a pool of blood and the snow 

 dyed crimson all around him. Turning him over, I found an 

 ugly scalp wound, but could discover no fracture. He was still 

 alive ; so we got him on the hind-wheels of his wagon and took 

 him to camp. We washed and dressed his wound and put in 

 the rest of the night working over him. An hour before sun- 

 rise he recovered consciousness, and from then on improved so 

 rapidly that in the afternoon he was able to be moved home ; 

 but it was some time before he was able to go to town again. 

 He was very thankful to us for saving his life, and well he 

 might be ; for if it had not been for the nearness of our camp 

 and our ability to care for him, it would have been his last trip 

 to town. 



Sports Afield. 



[114] 



