144 A SPORTING PARADISE 



jerk caused him to release the dog, but only to 

 find, in less than an instant, the jaws of the 

 monster clamped upon his own leg. 



The wolf, however, made no effort to shake 

 or lacerate the wound : at the same time it oc- 

 curred to the hunter that this would be the only 

 effect of any exertion on his own part to extricate 

 his limb ; and therefore, with the wolfs hind 

 leg in his right hand, and his left leg in the 

 wolfs jaws, he stood perfectly quiet, while poor 

 Cleon, whose head was covered with blood, lay 

 before him, apparently more dead than alive. 

 In a moment, however, Cleon recovered and 

 raised his head : and then his master spoke to 

 him again. Promptly the old fellow obeyed the 

 call, and this time he made good his hold on 

 the wolfs throat, whereupon our hunter's leg 

 was immediately released. At this juncture a 

 Cherokee lad, who was on his way across the 

 plain, came up ; but neither had he a knife nor 

 any other weapon. Hoskins then, as his only 

 resource, made a slip noose with the reins of 

 his bridle, and with the assistance of the boy, 

 got this over the wolfs head, when, pulling on 

 the opposite ends, they succeeded in strangling 

 the already exhausted animal. 



