ty. His plunge through space had been unintentional, and when he

where the blow had tumbled them. They felt sure that they

erry, as he stepped in

olf had turned in desperation, and wa

hud! the heavy stock landed on the brute

Brick, in one breath, as

nded though he was, he actually managed to get upon his feet. Then a charge of bu

and the plucky lads next turned their attention

ed tongues and white teeth glistened in the firelight. The rest of the pack yelped a

fellows, never fe

, and fired together, straight at

and crashed heavily to the ground. The other was invisible wh

They reloaded their weapons and waited

remembering, if we come thro

s off," added Hamp. "The pa

silent, and the boys heard a rushing noise far back in the forest, mingled with a chorus of faint how

goes another pack of wolves-after a deer or something. Hear the

ted Brick. "Hull

Jerry, and the wittic

e fading howls of their kindred, and then

good fortune. Then, with thankful hearts, they

ad wolves lay in the ravine, and the one inside the cabin made three. The bod

aid Jerry. "In the morning I'll take th

pt up the slope, and looked at the picked bones of the

stay here long, though. The catamount may pounce on

s had enough of this locality, and won't trouble us a

t wouldn't be a bad idea to cross the lake again, and do our hunting between Moosehead

," added Bri

declared Jerry. "We can talk about it in the morning. I thi

ed Brick. "It won't do to go to bed and leave

rain or snow,

itive about the catamount. It will be only prudent to rep

the roof. The others procured hatchets and started to

r prop or two, won'

s broken," Jerry rep

. Upon the roof Jerry rearranged the disordered layers of pine and spruce boughs.

p! H

lungs. Their owner was evidently some distance

nd thence to the ground, landing

a blood-curdling screech. Then followed a hoars

It must be one of those strange men. The catamount h

, at that," added

sped down the ravine and out on the slippery ice. The strange, unear

e yell, only a good deal

no rifle, and he's trying to scare the catamount off by

said Jerry. "There, the fell

g!" shouted Hamp, at

wind, and was speedily drowned by an

s yet nothing was visible

brought a lante

ce the music in the dark. If it comes to close quarters, I'll sh

gray atmosphere thirty yards in advance of the boys. He w

en bounding along behind. Suddenly the man stopped. He turned around

with the stranger, wh

eld out much longer. My rifle dropped in the snow, an

ved to one side, and was now creeping along in a

gger. He missed, however, and when Brick and Hamp fired, wi

. "As long as he's alive, he'll give us trouble.

ey skimmed over a dozen yards of ice and then slackened spee

d Jerry. "I never saw anything

e struck the thin shell of ice on an air-hole, and like a