WARWICK WOODLANDS. 141 



Archer can tell the truth; embellished, you understand, 

 embellished !" 



"The truth, strictly," answered Harry, quietly — "the 

 truth not embellished. When I tell personal adventures, 

 I am not in the habit of decorating them with falsehood." 



"I had no idea," responded the Commodore, "that there 

 had been any wolves here so recently." 



"There are wolves here now" said Archer, "though they 

 are scarce and wary. It was but last year that I rode 

 down over the back-bone of the mountain, on the Pompton 

 road, in the night-time, and that on the third of July, and 

 one fellow followed me along the road till I got quite 

 down into the cultivated country." 



"The devil he did!" 



"How did you know he was following you?" exclaimed 

 Frank and the Commodore, almost in a breath. 



"Did you see him?" 



"No I — but I heard him howl half a dozen times, and 

 each time nearer than before. When I got out of the 

 hills he was not six hundred yards behind me." 



"Pleasant, that! Were you armed? What did you do?" 



"It was not really so unpleasant, after all — for I knew 

 that he would not attack me at that season of the year. 

 I had my pistols in my holsters; and for the rest, I jogged 

 steadily along, taking care to keep my nag in good wind 

 for a spirit, if it should be needed. I knew that for three 

 or four miles I could outrun him, if it should come to the 

 worst, though in the end a wolf can run down the fastest 

 horse ; and, as every mile brought me nearer to the settle- 

 ment, I did not care much about it. Had it been winter, 

 when the brutes are hard pressed for food, and the deep 

 snows are against a horse's speed, it would be a very dif- 

 ferent thing. Hurrah! here we are! Hurrah! fat Tom! 

 ahoy! a-ho-oy!" 



