ATTACKED BY WOLVES. 851

met with nothing in the first wood except that in a little plain
within the wood, which was not above two furlorigs over, we saw
five great wolves cross the road, full speed one after another, as if
they had been in chase of some prey, and had it in view. They
took no notice of us, and were gone, and out of our sight in a few
moments.

Upon this our guide, who, by the way, was a wretched, faint-
hearted fellow, bid us keep in a ready posture, for he believed there
were more wolves a coming.

We kept our arms ready, and our eyes about us; but we saw
no more wolves till we came through that wood, which was near
half a league, and entered the plain. As soon as we came into
the plain we had occasion enough to look about us. The first
object we met with was a dead horse—that is to say, a poor horse
which the wolves had killed—and at least a dozen of them at
work, we could not say eating of him, but picking of his bones
rather, for they had eaten up all the flesh before.

We did not think fit to disturb them at their feast; neither
did they take much notice of us. Friday would have let fly at
them, but I would not suffer him by any means; for I found we
were like to have more business upon our hands than we were
aware of. We were not gone half over the plain but we began to
hear the wolves howl in the wood on our left in a frightful
manner; and presently after we saw about a hundred coming on
directly towards us, all in a body, and most of them in a line as
regularly as an army drawn up by experienced officers. I scarce
knew in what manner to receive them; but found to draw our-
selves in a close line was the only way; so we formed in a moment.
But that we might not have too much interval, I ordered that
only every other man should fire, and that the others who had not
fired should stand ready to give them a second volley immediately
if they continued to advance upon us; and that then those who
had fired at first should not pretend to load their fusees again, but
stand ready with every one a pistol, for we were all armed with a
fusee and a pair of pistols each man; so we were by this method
able to fire six volleys, half of us at a time. However, at present

we had no necessity; for upon firing the first volley the enemy
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