g the creature to the
ice. Even then, so violent were its struggles, that it would have
broken away, had I not come up and finished it with a blow of my club.

"On now, massa! on!" cried Dio; "dey rest stop an' eat their friend, and
we get 'way."

This was obvious enough, and we set off running as fast as we could over
the ice. Several loud cracks, however, warned us that it would be
prudent to gain the shore as soon as possible, although we might not
make our way so fast over it as we had been doing on the ice. As I
glanced over my shoulder, I saw that the pack had attacked their
comrade, and were busily employed in devouring his carcase. They would
not, however, take long in doing that, and we might soon expect to have
them at our heels. Hungry as we were, our strength was not exhausted,
and we resolved not to give in while life remained. We might hope to
reach some place where we could defend ourselves until the savage pack
had grown weary of besieging it. We had gained a considerable distance,
and were almost out of hearing of the yelping and barking, when again
those horrid sounds began to draw near. The brutes had eaten up their
companion, and were once more on our trail. How many miles we had run I
could not tell, when we saw that the pack were rapidly gaining upon us,
and that we should have to stop and fight for our lives. As I was
expecting every instant that we should have to turn round and commence
the battle, I saw a dark object on the ground, and at the same moment I
heard a bark, uttered certainly not by a wolf. Presently a dog came
rushing towards us whom I at once recognised as Boxer, holding a huge
piece of meat in his mouth. Regardless of the wolves, he leapt up as if
to offer it to us. A short distance off lay a buffalo bull, which
probably had been shot by some hunter, and had there fallen down and
died. Taking the meat, I threw it towards the wolves, then Dio, Boxer,
and I continued our flight, passing close to the bull. We were saved
from the imminent danger which had threatened us, for the wolves would
certainly be delayed long enough over the carcase to enable us to make
good our escape. I was rushing on, when Dio cried out--

"Stop, massa, I git out some meat for our supper."

With his axe he quickly cut off a huge piece of the flesh. The morsel I
had thrown to the wolves, had delayed them longer than I might have
supposed. The brutes having stopped to quarrel over it, had