thout taking
notice of us, and so swift as though they were pursuing after their
prey. Hereupon our guide, believing there were more coming, desired us
to be on our guard. Accordingly our eyes were very circumspect, till
about half a league farther, we perceived a dead horse, and near a dozen
of wolves devouring its carcase. My man Friday fain would have fired at
them, but I would not permit him; nor had we gone half over the plain,
but we heard dreadful howlings in a wood on our left, when presently we
saw an hundred come up against us, as though they had been an
experienced army. This obliged us to form ourselves in the best manner;
and then I ordered that every other man should fire, that those who did
not, might be ready to gave a second volley, should they advance upon
us; and then every man should make use of his pistols. But there was no
necessity for this; for the enemy being terrified stopped at the noise
of the fire; four of them were shot dead, and, several others being
wounded; went bleeding away, as we could very plainly discover by the
snow. And now remembering what had been often told me, that such was the
majesty of a man's voice, as to strike terror even in the fiercest
creatures, I ordered all our companions to halloo as loud as possible;
and in this notion I was not altogether mistaken; for they immediately
turned about upon the first halloo, and began to retire; upon which,
ordering a second volley in their rear, they galloped into the woods
with great precipitation.

Thus we had some small time to load our pieces again, and then made all
the haste we could on our way; but we had not rode far, before we were
obliged to put ourselves in a posture of defence as before, being
alarmed with a very dreadful noise in the same wood, on our left hand,
the same way as we were to pass, only that it was at some distance from
us. By this time the darksome clouds began to spread over the elements,
and the night growing very dusky, made it so much the more to our
disadvantage; but still the noise increasing, we were fully assured,
that it was the howling and the yelling of those ravenous creatures;
when presently three troops of wolves on our front appeared in sight, as
though a great number of them had a design to surround us, and devour us
in spite of fate. But as they did not fall upon us immediately, we
proceeded on our journey in as swift a manner as the roads would permit
our horses, which was only a large tr