ould fall among the ravenous jaws below
him, but he succeeded at length in reaching a firm branch, and he drew
himself up on to it, and thence climbed to the point he had selected.

Here he sat securely. Though he had escaped from the wolves they showed
no signs of quitting him; the light of the fire, which still blazed up
brightly, exhibiting their savage forms, as they stood howling beneath
the tree, or circled round and round, looking up with eager eyes towards
him. He refrained from firing, believing that they were more likely to
go away when they found that they could not reach him, than if he should
kill some of their number, when the pack would remain to devour the
carcases of their companions. At last, when morning dawned, and they
still continued round the tree, he began to lose patience, and to fear
that they would carry on the siege till they had starved him out.

"I cannot kill the whole pack," he said to himself, "but I may knock
over so many that the others may at length take warning and make their
escape."

He had no difficulty in firing, and as a branch offered him a good rest
for his gun, he was able to take steady aim, and never missed a shot.

He had killed half a dozen or more, still the wolves continued round the
tree. It was in a dense part of the forest, through which the beams of
the sun did not penetrate, or the creatures, disliking the bright light
of day, would probably have retreated to their fastness. Hour after
hour passed by, the air became unusually sultry and hot, even in the
forest. Donald was growing, at the same time, very hungry, and though,
as yet, he had rather enjoyed the adventure, he now began to feel
seriously anxious about his safety. He had but a few bullets remaining,
and the small shot in his pouch would produce but little effect on the
heads of the wolves, and only render them more savage. He waited for
some time, and then again began to fire, hoping that the sound of his
piece might be heard by any party of Indians or travellers in the
forest, who would come to his assistance, for he knew that the wolves,
cowardly though savage, will seldom venture to attack several people
together. He had expended his bullets. He felt more and more sensible
of the increased heat, and on looking upwards through the branches he
observed an unusual appearance in the sky. The wolves, at the same
instant, became silent, and then seized, so it seemed, by a panic, the
whole pack s