138 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



30 long had he been gone, before a single hound spoke to 

 it, and I had begun well nigh to despair; but Tom's im- 

 mense sagacity, which seemed almost to know instinctively 

 the course of the wily savage, enabling us to cut off the 

 angles of his course, at last brought us up somewhat 

 nearer to him. At about noon, two or three of the hounds 

 opened, but doubtfully and faintly. His slot, however, 

 showed that they were right, and lustily we cheered them 

 on ! Tom, marvelling the while that we heard not the cry 

 of Jem's relay. 



" 'For I'll be darned,' he said, 'if he hasn't crossed the 

 road long enough since; and that dumb nigger, Jem's not 

 had the sense to stick to him!' 



"For once, however, the fat man was wrong; for, as it 

 appeared when we neared the road, the wolf had headed 

 back, scared doubtess by some injudicious noise of our 

 companions, and making a wide ring, had crossed three 

 miles below the spot where Jem was posted. This circuit 

 we were forced to make, as at first sight we fancied he 

 had headed altogether back, and it was four o'clock before 

 we got upon his scent, hot, fresh, and breast-high; run- 

 ning toward the road, that is, due eastward from the 

 covert whence he had bolted in the morning. Nor were 

 our friends inactive; for, guided by the clamors of our 

 pack, making the forest musical, they now held down the 

 road; and as, the felon crossed, caught a long view of 

 him as he limped over it, and laid the fresh hounds on. 



"A brilliant rally followed — we calling off our wearied 

 dogs, and hasting to the lower road, where we found Garry 

 with the sleighs, and dashing off in our turn through all 

 sorts of by-paths and woodroads to head them once again ! 

 This, with much labor, we effected; but the full winter- 

 moon had risen, and the innumerable stars were sparkling 

 in the frosty skies, when we flogged off the hounds — 

 kindled our night fires — prepared our evening meal, feast- 

 ed, and spread our blankets, and slept soimdly under no 

 warmer canopy than the blue firmament — secure that our 

 lame friend would lie up for the night at no great dis- 

 tance. With the first peep of dawn we were again afoot, 

 and, the snow still befriending us, we roused him from 

 a cedar-brake at- about nine o'clock, cut him off three 

 times with fresh dogs and men. the second day, and passed 



