Indians of North America -- Juvenile fiction; Pioneers -- West (U.S.) -- Juvenile fiction; Slavery -- Juvenile fiction
Although the flames burnt up brightly, the wolves did not appear to be
scared by them, but continued as before tearing the carcase to pieces,
presenting a surging mass of heads, tails, and bodies twisting and
turning and struggling together, while they kept up an incessant chorus
of snarls and yelps. The Dominie proposed that we should lie down while
he kept watch.
"No, no, we will take it by turns to do that," I observed; "let us draw
lots who shall take the first watch; we shall all of us then obtain some
sleep and be ready to proceed in the morning."
My proposal was agreed to, three pieces of stick served our purpose held
in Dan's hand. I drew the longest and had the first watch, promising to
call the Dominie in a couple of hours. I took good care to keep up a
blazing fire, while I paced backwards and forwards, between it and the
hut. I had no fear of falling asleep, while the uproar continued,
though scarcely had Dan stretched himself on the ground, than his eyes
closed, while the snores which proceeded from the spot where the Dominie
had thrown himself assured me that he too was in the land of dreams.
As the "patriarchs" of the pack had somewhat appeased their hunger, the
younger members rushed, in uttering sharp yelps, to which the elders
replied with still louder snarls, greatly increasing the horrible din.
The Dominie and Dan started up, fancying that the wolves were upon us.
Neither of them could after this go to sleep.
"Come, Mike, I'll take your place," said Mr Tidey. This I declined,
for I knew it would be useless to lie down. We therefore all three sat
round the fire, hoping that the wolves would at length leave us quiet.
The savage brutes, however, having finished the bear began to tear up
the bodies of their companions, wrangling over them as they had done
over that of bruin.
At last the Dominie, losing patience, jumped up exclaiming, "We must
drive these brutes off, though they are not worth any more of our powder
and shot."
Each of us taking a burning brand, we advanced towards the wolves, and,
waving our torches, raised a loud shout. The brutes hearing the noise
and seeing us coming, took to flight, disappearing in the depths of the
forest. Where the body of the bear had been, part of the skull, and a
few of the larger bones alone remained, while most of the wolves had
also been torn to pieces and the whole ground round was strewn with the
fragments and moist with gore. Disgusted by the sight, we hurried back
to our camp.
"We shall get some rest now, I hope, for I don't think the wolves will
come near us," said Dan.
"Not so sure about that," observed the Dominie; "however, we will try
and obtain some sleep."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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