“Help! help! for God’s sake!” cried he, when they whirled round again. His cry was heard. Several sharp reports resounded from the river bank, a few paces on the east. Three or four of the wolves howled and fell. The rest hesitated, their eyes glistening, and fixed on Joe’s suspended boots. “Come quick! for Heaven’s sake! I can’t pull up my legs any more!” cried Joe. This was true, for his strength was fast failing. The guns were again discharged with deadly effect, and all but one of the largest of the wolves precipitately ran off, and disappeared among the bushes. They sprang up with fearful snarls and yells. They sprang up with fearful snarls and yells. Joe yelled likewise, and doubled his knees up to his chin. “Jerk up your leg! that feller’s a going to take one of your feet along with him, if he kin!” cried Sneak. Joe saw the wolf charging upon him, but he was altogether unable to avoid it in the manner he had done before. It was now only a few feet distant, its mouth open, displaying a frightful set of teeth, and springing towards him. Finding it impossible to prevent a collision, Joe resolved to sell his foot as dearly as possible. As much as he was able, he bent up his knee-joints, and when his assailant came, he bestowed his heels upon his head with all his might. The wolf was stunned, and fell under the blow. “Take that!” cried Sneak, running up and plunging his knife into the animal’s side. The wolf groaned and died. “Ha! ha! ha! you were born to be hanged,” said Roughgrove, coming forward with Boone and Glenn, and laughing heartily. “He has been hung,” said Boone. “And almost quartered,” said Glenn. “Oh, goodness! Jump up here, Sneak, and cut me loose,” said Joe, beseechingly. “There’s no danger of you ever dying,” said Sneak. “Oh, please don’t laugh at me, Sneak, but cut me down; that’s a good fellow. The string is beginning to cut my wrist like fury!” “How did you git in such a fix?” continued Sneak. “Oh, hang it, Sneak, just get me out of the fix, and I’ll tell you all about it.” “It’s hung _now_—didn’t you say ‘hang it, Sneak?’” continued Sneak. “Oh, come, now,” continued Joe; “if you were in this way, don’t you think I’d help you?” “Cut him down, Sneak,” said Boone; and in a twinkling Sneak was up in the tree, and the string was severed. Joe came down with great force, his feet foremost, and running through the snow-crust to a great depth. “I wish some of you would help me out of this,” said he, after struggling some time in vain to extricate himself. “You’ll want me to carry you home next, I s’pose,” said Sneak, assisting him up. Joe made no reply; but as soon as he could cut the string away from his wrist, seized Sneak by the throat, hurled him on his back, and springing upon him, a violent struggle ensued for a few moments before they could be separated. “What do you mean?” exclaimed Glenn, dragging Joe away from his prostrate victim.