gely at me. I should have shouted to
frighten it away, but I did not wish to awake Pat, as he could not have
come to my help; so holding the gun ready to fire, I advanced slowly,
with the same success as before. When I stood still, so did the wolf.
When I moved forward, it retreated. I was unwilling to fire lest I
should miss it, and I thought it best to refrain from doing so till it
should come nearer to me. At last, to my great satisfaction, it turned
round and bolted off. So rapidly did it retreat that I had no time to
take a steady aim at its shoulder, though I lifted my gun for the
purpose of doing so.

"I will not let you go another time, my fine fellow," I said to myself.
"If you show your ugly face here again, look out for the consequences."

The wolf could not have been very hungry, or it would, I suspected, have
attacked the horses; though I have since heard that a single wolf will
seldom attempt to kill a horse, a pair of heels proving more formidable
weapons than its fangs.

Having collected enough wood, I returned to the hut. Pat was in the
same semi-conscious state as before, still he appeared to me to be
getting better, and I hoped that by the next day he would be
sufficiently recovered to set off with me towards the fort. I watched
him anxiously for some time, wishing, should he awake, to give him some
more broth. Finding that he slept on, I was compelled by sheer
drowsiness and fatigue to lie down, when I myself was soon fast asleep.
When I awoke, I found him sitting up and scratching his head.

"Arrah! now, what's it all about?" he muttered. "Shure I've been
dhrameing. I thought I was out riding along in the snow."

"I hope you feel better, Pat," I said.

"For the matter of that, I'm mighty ager after some mate, for I do not
know when I last put some between my grinders," he answered.

"If you wait a bit, you shall soon have some broth," I said, seeing that
he was still weak and scarcely himself. "Lie down, and I'll get it
ready for you."

I quickly warmed some broth, as I had promised, and brought it to him.
He eagerly swallowed it, and asked for more. This I had not to give
him, but I promised if he would go to sleep again that I would get some
ready for the morning. I accordingly cut off some more meat, and
putting it into the pot, filled it up with snow. I then put the pot on
the fire, and sat inside the hut watching it while it was boiling.

The occupation kept me awake. A