olf darted suddenly at the pony's hind leg;
the frightened little animal swerved, the sledge brought up violently
against a pine-tree, and out rolled the pig and I; Gavril and the gun
remained in the sledge, which righted itself and went on swiftly as the
pony bounded forward in fear. I sprang to my feet and looked after the
sledge--it was out of sight in an instant.

At the same moment I became aware that half a dozen or more great grey
creatures sat and stood within a few yards of me, looking, with the
moon behind them, like dark spectres in a dream. _Was_ I dreaming, I
wondered, or was I really standing in mid-forest, the centre of interest
to a company of hungry and therefore dangerous wolves? The pig answered
the question conclusively enough. He suddenly yelled his loudest, using
his very highest note. Then a remarkable thing happened. A wolf,
maddened I suppose, by hunger, and unable to resist the temptation of
sampling the owner of so vigorous a voice, suddenly sprang upon the
sack. In an instant the wretched little creature imprisoned within it
was torn into a hundred pieces and swallowed, sack and all. The savoury
morsel whetted their appetites I suppose, for several of the brutes
began to steal around, watching for an opportunity to spring upon me. I
yelled and waved my arms and kicked my feet; the wolves withdrew a
little way; I danced wildly, and yelled again, but they withdrew no
further. The situation was obviously very serious.

Then I backed towards a tree, for I did not relish the idea of being
surrounded. The moment that I moved a step further from them, each wolf
advanced three, growling, showing his teeth, snarling. I caught sight of
a piece of wood lying near the road; I picked it up, a wolf sprang
forward to dispute possession, and I banged at him and missed; every
wolf within sight--I should think there were two dozen by now, two or
three of them quite close to me--showed his teeth and snarled again.

I backed for the tree, and had almost reached it when a gaunt beast
sprang at me, and actually tore a piece out of the sleeve of my coat. I
struck furiously at the brute, and I think broke its leg; he went
limping and yelping amongst his companions, and they instantly tore him
to pieces. The smell of his blood excited them, and several came leaping
and snarling at me; I shouted and struck at them, but they would not
retreat; they stood and growled, and licked their lips. How was it going
to end, I