claimed, "here we are monopolizing the
conversation, when we might be listening to some really interesting story
from Mr. Melton. I vote we petition the boss of this outfit to spin us a
yarn."

"Second the motion," shouted Tom and Dick, and the vote was carried.

"You fellows seem to think I have a story on tap all the time," he said
with an indulgent smile, "but the fact is I've told you about all the
exciting things that ever happened to me, or that I ever heard of. My
memory is squeezed as dry as a lemon."

"Just the same, I'll bet if you think real hard you can think of
something worth telling," said Bert; "try to, anyway, won't you?"

At first their host made no reply to this entreaty, but gazed
ruminatively off into space. At last he spoke.

"I suppose you boys think," he said, "that this country is pretty wild
and uncivilized. But take my word for it, it is so tame now that it eats
out of your hand compared to what it once was. Why, now it's the rarest
thing in the world that you ever see a wolf--that is, a real wolf," as
Tom started to interrupt. "What I'm thinking of is a real timber wolf,
not one of the slinking coyotes you see every once in a while. There is
no animal I'd go farther out of my way to avoid than a hungry timber
wolf, and anybody else who knows anything at all about them will tell you
the same thing.

"They are half as big again as a coyote, and twice as strong. Why, a
full-grown timber wolf will throw a running steer. Man is the only thing
in the world they're afraid of, and they're not afraid of him when
they're very hungry or running in packs. When driven to it they'll tackle
almost anything.

"I remember one time when I had occasion to go to Belford, a little
trading station some twenty or thirty miles from our camp, to secure some
much-needed supplies. It was the middle of winter, and an exceptionally
cold and severe winter at that. Fresh meat was naturally very scarce, and
the wolves were becoming bolder and more fearless every day. At night
they used to prowl close about the camp, and howl until we got up and
plugged one or two of their number, after which they generally dispersed
for a time.

"Well, as I have said, it became necessary for me to take the journey for
supplies, so one winter's morning I hitched up the team to a rude sort
of home-made sled I had made and started off for Belford. The snow was
quite deep and, needless to say, there had not been enough travel along
th