he
wolf. The creature's savage head and cruel eyes appeared above the
tailboard, even as I dragged at Guard, who, not to be deterred by my
interference, made a vicious lunge at the enemy, and fell back with
me, his mouth and throat so full of wolf-hair and hide that he was
nearly strangled. But that particular wolf had drawn off. I regained
my feet and admonished Guard: "Stay there, sir! Stay right there!" I
gasped, and again secured the gun. The wolves, on each side of us now,
were running close to the front wheels and to the galloping horses,
and one was again trying to leap into the box from the rear. The rifle
spoke, and he fell motionless on the road, at the same instant I heard
Ralph saying, imperatively: "Do away! Do away I tells 'oo!" I looked
around. Ralph was on his knees--no one could have kept footing in that
wagon-box just then--a pair of wolves were leaping up wildly beside
the near wheel, making futile springs and snaps at him, and just
then he lifted something, some dark object from the bottom of the
wagon-box, and hurled it at them with all the power of his baby hands.
Whatever the object was, its effect on the wolves was instantaneous.
The pack had not stopped to look at the wolf brought down by my
second shot, but they all stopped, snarling and fighting over Ralph's
missile. A few took on after us, and then Ralph threw another; they
stopped again at that, and then I saw that the child was throwing out
the game that Phillips had given us. With another command to Guard to
remain where he was, I crept back to the pile of game yet remaining,
and tossed out what was left. Then I crept on to Jessie.

"Can you slow the horses down?" I shouted in her ear. "The wolves will
not follow us again; they have got what they were after."

The horses knew me, and by dint of much pulling and many soothing
words I had them partially quieted, but it took so long to gain even
that much control over them that the wolves were far out of sight and
sound behind us when I at length ventured to look back. The horses
were walking at last, but it was a walk so full of frightened starts
and nervous glances that it threatened at any moment to break into a
run. By the moonlight Jessie and I looked into each others' white
faces, and, with Ralph cuddled between us, clung together for a
breathless instant of thanksgiving. Then--"'Ose dogs was hundry,"
Ralph observed, philosophically, adding, as an afterthought: "Me
hundry, too; is we