THE DANGERS OF FIRE-HUNTING. 35 



Poke suggested they were phantom wolves, and declared they 

 were all white. 



All the fearful stories I had ever read came coursing through 

 my brain. I saw snow-buried huts snuffed out and ravished by 

 these prowlers, and heard the shriek of the child, thrown from the 

 sleigh by its fear-maddened mother, and many an old dream 

 re-shaped in my mind the terrors of nights of fever. Were we to 

 be tired out by their devilish patience ? Was one gang to relieve 

 another, until we wearily fell into their hot tainted jaws, to be 

 turned into wolf meat ? 



I shouted in the hope that some one might hear me ; but what 

 good to shout in that midnight forest ? I heard a voice — it was 

 Poke saying his prayers. I listened devoutly, but could offer none 

 myself. 



When he had finished, I called to him. He answered faintly — 



" What is it ? speak quickly ; I can't hold on much longer." 



 Fire your pistol ; do try, it may bring some help, even if it 

 does not kill." 



" I will try," answered Poke. 



There was a momentary pause, and then the sharp crack of a 

 pistol was followed by the singing of a bullet close by my ear. By 

 the flash, I saw Poke, hatless, and almost coatless, hanging on to 

 the topmost branch of a young pecan, that bent with him like an 

 orange-tree under a heavy load of fruit. With the report of the 

 pistol, there was a scramble among the voracious crew at our feet ; 

 but they did not go away permanently, and were back in a 

 moment. 



" Fire the other barrel, dear Poke, but try and fire it the other 

 way — point it down." 



Bang ! sounded the pistol, and I heard a thump on the ground, 

 as the poor fellow threw away the now useless weapon. 



" Hold on, Poke ; take heart, my dear boy." 



" Oh, it is easy enough to say take heart, but when the tree 

 bends a little more than usual, I am within a foot of these hell- 

 hounds. Oh, dear ! " 



At this moment I thought I saw a light flashing through the 

 foliage. A moment more, I was sure of it. 



