, don't attempt anything so rash," cried Fred. "She
will prove an ugly customer to deal with, depend on it."

The white, grinning teeth and ferocious aspect of the wolf fully
corroborated Fred's assertion. Still the lads did not like to decline
the combat, but without fire-arms or spears they were hard pressed to
know what to do. They rode round and round the tree at a respectful
distance, the wolf following them with her eyes, though she would not
leave her cubs either to escape or to attack them. Still the lads,
thoughtless of the risk they ran, could not bring themselves to leave
the beast alone.

"Hang it, I must give her a lick over the chops, just to remind her that
she must not eat up little children in future," cried Harry, riding up
towards the beast. The wolf looked at Harry, as much as to say, "You
had better not, master, for if you do, I'll give you a taste of my
fangs." Harry rode on. The wolf stood up, and advanced a step or two
beyond her lair, grinning horribly.

"Stay, stay, Harry!" shouted Fred, dashing on before him. "The wolf
will fly at you."

The wolf took the movement as the signal of attack, and with a terrible
snarl, which sounded far more ferocious than the bark or growl of a dog,
flew at Fred's horse, evidently intending to pull the rider to the
ground. Never had Fred been in peril so terrific. A cry of horror
escaped him; he could not restrain it, but, speedily recovering his
presence of mind, he began to belabour the head of the wolf. Harry,
true to his promise, nothing daunted, came to his assistance, but their
blows, though given with a hearty good-will, had not the slightest
effect on the head of the wolf. On the contrary, they only seemed to
increase her fury. She let go, but it was only to spring again with
surer aim. The poor horse, torn by her fangs, reared with pain and
fright, as the savage brute again sprang towards him. In another moment
its fangs would have been fixed in Fred's thigh. Alas! Poor fellow!
His life was in dreadful jeopardy.

"Oh! What can I do? What can I do?" cried poor Harry.

The wolf and her cubs seemed to say, "Gallop away while you can, or we
will eat you up as well as your brother."

At that critical moment a rifle-shot was heard, and the wolf, with a
yelp of pain and rage, let go her hold. Directly afterwards a man was
seen, with a rifle in his hand, running through the forest towards them.

"Oh, you are saved!--you are saved, my