\((S FORTY-FOUE YEARS OF 



had made such a cowardly attack oa him, without giving 

 him the least notice of their bloody intentions. 



I think he was the most vicious beast I ever saw ; and 

 though he had his back broken so that he could not stand 

 up, yet he would strike the most terrible blows at the dog, 

 and try in every way to get hold of him. If he had got 

 him within his big paws, he would have killed him as easily 

 as a cat would kill a mouse. But the dog kept out of 

 reach until I had loaded my rifle and poured in a second 

 fire, which finished the contest. 



When I saw him laid out at my feet, and thought how 

 manfully he had fought in his own defence, and also how 

 unfairly he had been taken, without the least notice of the 

 onset, it destroyed all the pleasure of the fight. But then 

 It occurred to me that, if he had escaped at this time, he 

 would perhaps have killed a dozen hogs for some of my 

 friends ; and that if he had received the least notice of the 

 attack, he could not have been taken by all the dogs in the 

 neighborhood. 



This reasoning having satisfied my scruples, I dressed him 

 and left him, with his hide on, till I could come for him 

 another day. I then went to the camp ; but, as Mr. 

 House did not arrive that night, I had to pick up such 

 sticks as I could carry, and make a fire ; which, not being 

 sufficient, I suffered much from cold. 



Daylight came at last, and with it the promise of a fine 

 day. After eating a cold breakfast, I sat off for a hunt ; 

 and in a short time I found some deer, shot one, and broke 

 its shoulder. I readily traced it by the blood on the snow, 

 and was following after it, when two wolves entered the 

 track before me. As I had sent my dog after the deer, I 

 began to fear the wolves would find him with it, fall on 

 him, and kill him. I pushed on a little faster, in order to 

 be up in time to help the dog if they should attack him, 



