,' he answered. 'I will do everything that can be
done to save your skin and mine.' He cracked his whip, and away flew the
horses at a breakneck speed. But fast as they went, they could not
outstrip the sound of the howling, which gradually drew nearer and
nearer, until around the curve we had just passed shot into view a huge
gaunt wolf. I raised my rifle and fired. The beast fell, but another
instantly took its place, and then another and another, till the whole
pack came into sight, and close behind us was an ocean of white,
tossing, foam-flecked jaws and red gleaming eyes.

"I emptied my rifle into them as fast as I could pull the trigger, but
it only checked them momentarily. A few snaps, and of their wounded
brethren there was nothing left but a pile of glistening bones. Then,
hie away, and they were once again in red-hot pursuit. At last our pace
slackened, and still I could see no signs of the lake. A great grey
shape, followed by others, then rushed by us and tried to reach the
horses' flanks with their sharp, gleaming teeth. A few more seconds,
and I knew we should be both fighting, back to back, the last great
fight for existence. Indeed I had ceased firing, and was already
beginning to strike out furiously with the butt end of my rifle, when a
new sound arrested my attention. The baying of dogs! 'Dogs!' I screamed,
'Dogs, Ivan!' (that was the coachman's name) 'Dogs!' and, in my mad joy,
I brained two wolves in as many blows. The next moment a large pack of
enormous white hounds came racing down on us. The wolves did not wait to
dispute the field; they all turned tail and, with loud howls of terror,
rushed off in the direction they had come. On came the hounds--more
beautiful dogs I had never seen; as they swept by, more than one brushed
against my knees, though I could feel nothing save intense cold. When
they were about twenty yards ahead of us, they slowed down, and
maintained that distance in front of us till we arrived on the shores of
the lake. There they halted, and throwing back their heads, bayed as if
in farewell, and suddenly vanished. We knew then that they were no
earthly hounds, but spirit ones, sent by a merciful Providence to save
us from a cruel death."

CHAPTER III

HORSES AND THE UNKNOWN

As in my chapters on cats and dogs, I will preface this chapter on
horses with instances of alleged haunted localities.

I take my first case from Mr. W.T. Stead's _Real Ghost Stories_,
publi