TREED BY WOLVES 235

“But they may be attacked too,” Charlie remarked.

“There are ten of them, and they are sure to come armed
with axes and swords. ‘They ought to be able to fight their
way through a good-sized pack; besides the wolves will be
so cowed by this great fire, that I don’t think they will have
the courage to meddle with so strong a party.”

One by one the arms of the tree fell, burnt through at the
point where they touched the trunk. ‘They would have
been far too heavy to be dragged, but three or four of them
fell across the lower fire and there lay blazing. Not know-
ing which way the tree itself would fall, Charlie and his
companion were obliged to remain at some distance
off, but the heat there was amply sufficient for them. At
last the trunk fell with a crash, and they at once estab-
lished themselves as near the fire as they could sit without
being scorched, and there chatted until morning began to
break.

They felt sure that some at least of the wolves were
around them, as they occasionally caught sight of what
looked like two sparks among the undergrowth, these being
as they knew the reflection of the fire in the eyes of a wolf.
There was a tree hard by in which they could if necessary
take refuge, and they therefore resolved to stay near the fire.
Fortunately the night had been perfectly still, and as the
tree they had fired was a detached one, the flames had not
spread, as Charlie had at one time been afraid they would
do. Half an hour after daylight had fairly broken they
discharged three shots at regular intervals with their pistols,
then they waited half an hour.

“Shall we fire again?”

“No. Not until we hear shots from them,’ Charlie
replied. “We have but four charges left, and if the wolves
made a sudden rush we might want to use them.”

After a time both thought they heard the distant report of

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