moment later a dozen wolves ran up to the trunk of the tree, and
there gathered snuffing and whining. Presently one caught sight of
the two figures above them, and with an angry yelp sprang up in the
air, and immediately all were growling, snarling, and leaping.
Charlie laughed out loud at their impotent efforts.

"It is no laughing matter, sir," Stanislas said gravely.

"They cannot climb up here, Stanislas."

"No, but they can keep us here. It will be dark in an hour, and
likely enough they will watch us all night."

"Then we had better shoot two of them, and jump down with our
hatchets. Keeping back to back, we ought to be able to face ten
wolves."

"Yes, if that were all; but see, here come three or four more, and
the dozen will soon swell to a score. No, we shall have to wait
here all night, and probably for some time tomorrow, for the men
are not likely to find us very early, and they will hardly hear our
pistols unless some of them happen to come in this direction."

"Do you think, if we shoot two or three of them, the rest will go?"

"Certainly not. It will be all the worse. Their comrades would at
once tear them to pieces and devour them, and the scent of blood
would very soon bring others to the spot."

"Well, if we have got to wait here all night, Stanislas, we had
better choose the most comfortable place we can, at once, before it
gets dark. We must mind we don't go to sleep and tumble off."

"There will be no fear of our sleeping," Stanislas said. "The cold
will be too great for that. We shall have to keep on swinging our
hands and feet, and rubbing our noses, to prevent ourselves from
getting frostbitten."

"Well, I have never felt the cold in these clothes," Charlie said.

"No, sir, but you have never been out at night, sitting cramped on
a tree."

Hour after hour passed. Even in the darkness they could see the
wolves lying in the snow below them, occasionally changing their
position, keeping close together for warmth, and often snarling or
growling angrily, as one or two shifted their position, and tried
to squeeze in so as to get into a warm spot.

The cold was intense and, in spite of swinging his legs and arms,
Charlie felt that his vital heat was decreasing.

"This is awful, Stanislas. I do not think we can last on till
morning."

"I begin to have doubts myself, sir. Perhaps it would be better to
leap down and make a fight of it."

"We might shoot some of them first," Charlie sa