a pin had been thrust into him; and the cry
which he uttered awoke also his companions. Was it a snake that had
touched him? Francois thought so at the moment, and continued to think
so while he was rubbing his eyes open. When this feat was accomplished,
however, he caught a glimpse of some object running off, that could not
be a snake.

"What do you think it was?" inquired Basil and Lucien, in the same
breath.

"A wolf, I think," replied Francois. "It was his cold nose I felt.
See! yonder it goes. See--see--there are two of them!"

Francois pointed in the direction in which the two animals were seen to
run. Basil and Lucien looked, and saw them as well. They were about
the size of wolves, but appeared to be quite black, and not like wolves
at all. What could they be? They had suddenly passed into a darker
aisle among the trees, and the boys had only caught a glimpse of them as
they went in. They could still distinguish their two bodies in the
shade, but nothing more. What could they be? Perhaps javalies? This
thought, no doubt, occurred to the brothers, because of their late
adventure with these animals.

"They are too large, and run too clumsily, for javalies," said Lucien.

"Bears?" suggested Francois.

"No, no; they are not large enough for bears."

All three were puzzled.

They had risen upon their hands and knees, disencumbered themselves of
their blankets, and each had grasped his gun, which they always kept
close by them when asleep.

They remained in this position, straining their eyes up the gloomy alley
after the two black objects that had stopped about fifty yards distant.
All at once the form of a man rose up before them, and directly in front
of the animals. Instead of retreating from the latter, as the boys
expected, the upright figure stood still. To their further
astonishment, the two animals ran up to it, and appeared to leap against
it, as if making an attack upon it! But this could not be--since the
figure did not move from its place, as one would have done who had been
attacked. On the contrary, after a while, it stooped down, and appeared
to be caressing them!

"A man and two dogs," whispered Francois; "perhaps an Indian!"

"It may be a man," returned Lucien, also speaking in a whisper. "I know
not what else it could be; but those _are no dogs_, or I never saw
such."

This Lucien uttered with emphasis and in a serious tone, that caused the
brothers to draw closer t