snow.

"That's a good shot, Joey; load again; here's at another."

McShane fired, and missed the animal, which rushed forward; the
courier's pistol, however, brought it down, just as he was springing on
the hindmost horses.

O'Donahue, astonished at the firing, now lowered down the glass, and
inquired the reason. McShane replied, that the wolves were on them, and
that he'd better load his pistols in case they were required.

The wolves hung back a little upon the second one falling, but still
continued the chase, although at a more respectable distance. The road
was now on a descent, but the sick horse could hardly hold on his legs.

"A little half-hour more and we shall be in the town," said the courier,
climbing up to the coach-seat, and looking up the road they had passed;
"but Saint Nicholas preserve us!" he exclaimed; and he turned round and
spoke in hurried accents to the driver in the Russian language.

Again the driver lashed furiously, but in vain; the poor horse was
dead-beat.

"What is the matter now?" inquired McShane.

"Do you see that black mass coming down the hill? it's the main pack of
wolves; I fear we are lost; the horse cannot go on."

"Then why not cut his traces, and go on with the three others?" cried
Joey.

"The boy is right," replied the man, "and there is no time to lose."
The courier went down on the sleigh, spoke to the driver in Russian, and
the horses were pulled up. The courier jumped out with his knife, and
commenced cutting the traces of the tired horse, while the other three,
who knew that the wolves were upon them, plunged furiously in their
harness, that they might proceed. It was a trying moment. The five
wolves now came up; the first two were brought down by the guns of
McShane and Joey, and O'Donahue killed a third from the carriage
windows.

One of the others advanced furiously, and sprang upon the horse which
the courier was cutting free. Joey leapt down, and put his pistol to
the animal's head, and blew out his brains, while McShane, who had
followed our hero, with the other pistol disabled the only wolf that
remained.

But this danger which they had escaped from was nothing compared to that
which threatened them; the whole pack now came sweeping like a torrent
down the hill, with a simultaneous yell which might well strike terror
into the bravest. The horse, which had fallen down when the wolf seized
him, was still not clear of the sleigh, and the other th