204 THE DRAMA OF THE FORESTS 



man can. Out among the dancing shadows that flitted 

 among the snow-mantled bushes and heavily laden trees a 

 hundred and fifty eyes glared in the brooding darkness — as 

 though all the wolves in the forest were gathering there. Later, 

 when the sound of heavy breathing was heard round the fires, 

 a fierce, wolfish-looking dog, bolder than the rest, left its snowy 

 bed to hunt for more sheltered quarters. There was a whine, 

 a snarl, then the sound of clashing teeth. In a moment every 

 dog leaped up with bristling hair. Instantly bedlam reigned. 

 Over seventy dogs waged the wildest kind of war and the dis- 

 tant woods reechoed the horrible din. A dozen blanketed 

 mounds rose up, and many long lashes whistled through the 

 air. The seething mass broke away and flew howling and 

 yelping into outer darkness followed by a roar of curses — but 

 only in civilized tongues. 



Presently all was still again. The men lay down, and the 

 dogs, one by one, came slinking back to their resting places. 

 But in a couple of hours one of the half-frozen brutes silently 

 rose up, cautiously stepped among the sleeping men, and lay 

 couched close to a smouldering fire. Another followed and 

 then another until most of the dogs had left their beds. Grow- 

 ing bolder, a couple of the beasts fought for a warmer spot. 

 In their tussle they sprawled over one of the men, but a few 

 lusty blows from a handy frying-pan restored calm. As the 

 night wore on some of the dogs, not contented with sleeping 

 beside the men, curled up on top of their unconscious masters. 

 Then for hours nothing but the heavy breathing and snoring 

 in camp and the howling of distant wolves was heard. Slum- 

 ber had at last overtaken the wild men of the wilderness — who 

 always made it a rule to kneel down every night, and ask God 

 to bless their little children at home. 



Now, though time still sped on, silence possessed the 

 forest — until : 



"Hurrah, mes bons hommes! Levey, levey, levey! Up, up 



