r animals coming from the right hand and the left, which we
at once knew to be wolves.

"We shall lose our venison, I fear, if we don't make haste," said Alick.

The yelping and barking sounds increased in loudness, when we saw ahead
of us, amid the snow, a flashing of tails and flying hair, and directly
afterwards a dozen or more dark forms, all tugging and snarling and
occasionally biting at each other, evidently employed in pulling away at
a body on the ground.

They were "coyotes," or small prairie-wolves; but though small, they
exhibit wonderful activity and power of swallowing. By the time we got
up to the brutes they had devoured every particle of the deer, and
nothing remained but a well-picked skeleton, from which they slunk off
when we were almost close enough to knock them over with the butts of
our guns. They were not worth shooting, so we let them go, and,
bitterly disappointed, set off to return to our camp. We had no
difficulty in finding our way, but it was trying to have lost our game
after so long a chase, especially as we greatly needed the venison both
for ourselves and Bouncer, who required to be well fed.

The next morning Pat, as well as Martin, had sufficiently recovered to
set off again. By Alick's advice we fastened some dark handkerchiefs
over our faces, with two minute holes in them through which we could
look. We could, however, see only directly before us, unless, we turned
our heads.

We had been compelled to use up the greater portion of our food during
these four days' delay. On the evening of the fifth day after leaving
the camp at which we had so long remained, we found ourselves
approaching Fort Ross.

All our troubles, we hoped, would now be at an end. We had exhausted
the remainder of our pemmican and dried meat at the last, meal we had
taken at noon, having given Bouncer a larger portion than usual. That
did not matter. We were about to be welcomed by our friends, and to
enjoy an abundance. We all felt hungry, and could not help talking of
the warm supper which would soon be placed before us. We therefore
trudged cheerfully forward, Pat every now and then giving forth one of
his merry Irish songs.

At last the flanking towers of Fort Ross came into view through the dim
twilight, but no flag was flying, nor did we see anybody moving about.

"Of course they hauled down the flag at sunset," said Martin, "but I
wonder they didn't see us. They would be sure to be ke