THE WOLF. 
267 
He had saved his miserable life; but it was 
at the expense of his orphan charge.” 
“ What became of him ?” asked Erastus. 
“His disordered appearance, the condition 
of his horses, and, above all, his own ravings, 
(for he was beside himself with fear and 
horror,) told the story. The people rose 
upon him, and would have torn him to 
pieces if the magistrates had not rescued 
him out of their hands. He escaped to an¬ 
other part of the kingdom, where he led a 
miserable life, hated by all who knew his 
story, and tormented by remorse, till, I be¬ 
lieve, he finally killed himself.” 
“Much good his life did him!” exclaimed 
Sidney. “ He had better have been killed 
at once, in the way of his duty,—the mise¬ 
rable coward!” 
“Don’t be too hard on him, my son,” said 
Erastus. “ It was a dreadful hard place. It 
seems a horrible thing to be devoured by 
wild beasts; and a man—a coward especially 
—would do almost any thing to avoid it.” 
“But you wouldn’t do such a thing, 
Erastus, I am sure.” 
“I should hope I wouldn’t be left to 
myself,” replied the old hunter, solemnly. 
