ADVENTURE WITH A WOLF. 
265 
mean, Dick,—about the children. Don’t 
tell that!” But the others were anxious to 
hear it, and Annie withdrew her opposition, 
only saying, “I don’t more than half be¬ 
lieve it, anyway.” 
“ A man was sent, in the dead of winter, 
from one town to another in the North of 
Sweden, to carry some children. There 
were three of them,—orphans; and he was 
to take them to their friends, who I suppose 
meant to take care of them. So he had 
them in his sledge, all covered up warm, 
and the'poor things w r ere as merry as could 
be, chattering to him and each other about 
where they were going and the fine sights 
they were to see. Presently they began to 
be drowsy, and went to sleep, nestled down 
at his feet. After a while his horses began 
to go faster and faster, and almost to fly, in 
spite of his efforts to check them; and at the 
same time he heard what he at first took to 
be the moaning of the wind in the pines. 
He looked back and saw a dark mass upon 
the snow, which he soon perceived to be in 
motion; and he then understood the state of 
the case: the wolves were after him. At 
first he hoped to escape by the speed of his 
23 
