r number, continued gnawing
away at the bear, snarling and yelping, and wrangling over their feast.

The third time we fired, with the same success as at first.

"We may let them alone for the present until they have eaten up the
bear, as there is no chance of their molesting us," observed Mr Tidey;
"and we shall expend too much of our ammunition, if we attempt to kill
the whole pack. Let us make up the fire and they will not venture near
us."

Although the flames burnt up brightly, the wolves did not appear to be
scared by them, but continued as before tearing the carcase to pieces,
presenting a surging mass of heads, tails, and bodies twisting and
turning and struggling together, while they kept up an incessant chorus
of snarls and yelps. The Dominie proposed that we should lie down while
he kept watch.

"No, no, we will take it by turns to do that," I observed; "let us draw
lots who shall take the first watch; we shall all of us then obtain some
sleep and be ready to proceed in the morning."

My proposal was agreed to, three pieces of stick served our purpose held
in Dan's hand. I drew the longest and had the first watch, promising to
call the Dominie in a couple of hours. I took good care to keep up a
blazing fire, while I paced backwards and forwards, between it and the
hut. I had no fear of falling asleep, while the uproar continued,
though scarcely had Dan stretched himself on the ground, than his eyes
closed, while the snores which proceeded from the spot where the Dominie
had thrown himself assured me that he too was in the land of dreams.

As the "patriarchs" of the pack had somewhat appeased their hunger, the
younger members rushed, in uttering sharp yelps, to which the elders
replied with still louder snarls, greatly increasing the horrible din.
The Dominie and Dan started up, fancying that the wolves were upon us.
Neither of them could after this go to sleep.

"Come, Mike, I'll take your place," said Mr Tidey. This I declined,
for I knew it would be useless to lie down. We therefore all three sat
round the fire, hoping that the wolves would at length leave us quiet.
The savage brutes, however, having finished the bear began to tear up
the bodies of their companions, wrangling over them as they had done
over that of bruin.

At last the Dominie, losing patience, jumped up exclaiming, "We must
drive these brutes off, though they are not worth any more of our powder
and shot."

Each of us taki