234 A JACOBITE EXILE

three feet higher than that on which the fire had been
lighted, and ere long a sensation of genial warmth began to
steal over them. Fresh sticks were lighted as the first were
consumed, and before long the trunk where the flames
played on it began to glow. Light tongues of flame rose
higher and higher, until the trunk was alight ten or twelve
feet up.

“The wolves are all gone,” Charlie said, looking down.

“T don’t suppose they have gone very far, sir; but when
the tree once gets fairly alight, you may be sure they won’t
venture anywhere near it.”

They had already been forced to move some little dis-
tance away from the trunk by the heat, and as the flames
rose higher and higher, embracing in the course of half an
hour the whole of the trunk and upper branches, they felt
that it was perfectly safe to drop off into the snow beneath
them. Blazing brands soon began to fall. ‘hey stood a
short distance away so as to be beyond the risk of accident,
but at Charlie’s suggestion they ran in from time to time,
gathered up the brands and laid them at the foot of the
trunk, and in a short time a second fire was kindled here.
‘The tree was now a pyramid of fire, lighting up the snow
for a long distance round. Outside this circle the wolves
could be heard whining and whimpering, occasionally
uttering a long-drawn howl.

“They know that they are baulked of their prey,”
Stanislas said. “We shall have some of the big branches
falling soon, and shall be able to keep up a roaring fire that
will last until daylight. I should think by that time the
wolves will be tired of it, and will make off; but if not, the
captain will be sure to send men out to search for us. He
will guess we have been treed by wolves, and we have only
to get into another tree and fire our pistols to bring them
in this direction.”