e, pulling out a strong leather string from his pocket, one end of
which he attached firmly to a small limb of the tree, and the other he
tied as tightly round the wrist of his left arm. He then pulled out
his bandanna, and likewise made his musket fast to a bough. "Now, my
snapping beauties," he continued, "I'm mistaken if I don't give you a
dose of blue pills that'll do your business in short order." Saying
this, he tore off another piece of paper, and rubbing on the gum,
dropped it down as near as possible to the spot where he wished the
wolves to cluster together. No sooner did it fall than the whole gang
sprang upon it, and he fired with precision in their midst. Joe did
not look to see what execution was done. He was dangling in the air
and whirling round and round at a rapid rate, like a malefactor
suspended from the gallows, with the exception that his neck did not
suffer, and he cried out most lustily for assistance. When the cloud
of smoke that enveloped him cleared away a little, and he became
better acquainted with his critical situation, his yells increased in
rapidity and violence. His condition was truly perilous. The small
bough to which he had attached himself had not sufficient strength to
bear him up when his feet slipped from the larger one below, and it
was now bent down a considerable distance, and that too in a divergent
direction from his recent foothold, and unfortunately there was no
limb of the tree of any strength within his reach. His legs hung
within six feet of the surface of the snow. The discharge had killed
four or five of the wolves, but, undismayed, the remainder assailed
him the more furiously. The most active of them could easily spring as
far up as his feet! Never was terror more strongly depicted in the
human face than it was displayed in Joe's when he saw the whole pack
rushing towards him! They sprang up with fearful snarls and yells. Joe
yelled likewise, and doubled his knees up to his chin. They missed his
feet by several inches, and were borne out fifteen or twenty feet to
one side by the impetus of the leap. It was by a mighty effort that he
thus avoided them, and no sooner had they passed under him than his
legs again dangled downward. In a moment they whirled round and were
again rushing at their victim. Once more Joe screamed, and drew up his
legs while they passed under him. "Help! help! for God's sake!" cried
he, when they whirled round again. His cry was heard. Several s