done it if the old
man had not caught the reins and soothed the animal. A second shot from
his rifle, by which another wolf was killed, sent the whole cowardly
pack howling back into the forest. "You must let me go as your guard
for the rest of the way," said the old hunter, as he stepped into the
sleigh and bade Tony drive on, "Don't suppose, though, I came here by
chance," he added; "nothing ever does happen by chance, and I am here
to-day because I met Rob, and as his mind misgave him, he begged that I
would come and look after you."

Tony and his friend thanked the old man heartily for the help he had
given them. "Yes, indeed, Mr Marks: we should have been made into
mince-meat by this time if it hadn't been for you," said Tony.

It was, indeed, a good thing for the lads that the old trapper found
them when he did, even if there had been no wolves; for the night came
on very dark, and without him they could not have found their way to
Roland's shanty. In the night the wind changed, the rain came down in
torrents, and the remainder of the road along the banks of the river and
the shore of the lake was impassable. They had, therefore, to follow
Mr Landon's orders, to leave the sleigh under Roland's care, and to go
home in the canoe.

STORY THREE, CHAPTER 6.

Old Marks offered, the next morning, to go with them, telling them that
the current in the river was so strong that they would not stem it by
themselves. They saw that he spoke the truth, and were very glad to
have his help. The rain ceasing, they started soon after breakfast with
as much of Mr Landon's goods as the canoe would carry.

Tony thought Rob a very good canoe-man, but he found the old trapper a
far better; and it was curious to see the way in which he managed the
canoe, even among rapids, into which few persons would have ventured.
His strength, too, was very great--for he dragged the canoe, heavily
laden as it was, all the way along the portage over the snow; for the
frost came on again that evening, and in exposed places hardened the
ground. They found it much colder camping out by the lake than they had
done in the woods.

As soon as it was dark, the old trapper lighted a torch, and with a
spear went out in the canoe. The fish came up to the light as moths do
to a candle, and were seen by the old sportsman's sharp eye; and in the
course of a few minutes he had killed more fish than he and his two
young companions could eat for the