iked
the sport very much.

"All right, I'm willing," answered Dave. "But I should like to find my
father first," he added, hastily.

"Oh, of course."

The evening of Christmas Day was spent in watching the children around
the decorated tree, which was lit up with a dozen or more tiny candles,
of home production. Then the boys turned in and Granbury Lapham
followed.

About the middle of the night came a great disturbance, and in a minute
the household was in an uproar. They heard the mountaineer call to his
wife, and then, lantern in hand, he rushed outside and toward the
sheepfold, back of the cow-shed.

"Some wolves have gotten among the sheep," explained Granbury Lapham,
after a few words with the woman of the hut. "The man is going after
them with his gun."

"Let us see if we can aid him!" exclaimed Roger, and slipped on such of
his clothing as he had taken off. He had a loaded pistol in his pocket.

"If you go out, I'll go too," answered Dave, and followed his chum to
the rear of the hut. He, too, had a pistol, purchased before going on
the journey in the sleigh, and now he looked to see that the weapon was
in condition for use.

Outside, they heard the mountaineer calling loudly, although they could
not make out what was being said. There was a commotion in the sheepfold
and also in the cow-shed. Then came a crashing sound, and from the
cow-shed came one of the horses.

"Hullo! one of the horses is running away!" cried Dave. "This won't do
at all! Whoa! Whoa, there!"

But the steed did not whoa--evidently not understanding such a command!
On it went, around the corner of the hut and along the snowy trail. The
sleigh driver was up and after it, and set off on a labored run,
cracking a whip as he went.

"I see a wolf!" cried Roger. The beast had just left the sheepfold and
was carrying something in its mouth. Evidently it was nearly famished,
or it would never have stopped to carry off such a burden.

"It's a sheep!" said Dave.

As he spoke, the senator's son fired, and the bullet from his pistol hit
the wolf in the side. The beast staggered for a second and then kept on,
still carrying the sheep in its strong teeth.

"He's game, that's sure," said Dave, and now he, too, fired, running
forward as he did so. Then came the roar of the shotgun from the
sheepfold and out came another wolf, followed presently by a third. The
fourth and last of the pack was instantly killed by the mountaineer, who
liter