me tell my story.

"We waited for some time, but the report of the gun did not reach us,
and my elder brother then said, 'Our father has followed the wolf, and
will not be back for some time. Marcella, let us wash the blood from
your mouth, and then we will leave this corner, and go to the fire and
warm ourselves.'

"We did so, and remained there until near midnight, every minute
wondering, as it grew later, why our father did not return. We had
no idea that he was in any danger, but we thought that he must have
chased the wolf for a very long time. 'I will look out and see if
father is coming,' said my brother Caesar, going to the door. 'Take
care,' said Marcella, 'the wolves must be about now, and we cannot
kill them, brother.' My brother opened the door very cautiously, and
but a few inches; he peeped out.--'I see nothing,' said he, after a
time, and once more he joined us at the fire. 'We have had no supper,'
said I, for my father usually cooked the meat as soon as he came
home; and during his absence we had nothing but the fragments of the
preceding day.

"'And if our father comes home after his hunt, Caesar,' said Marcella,
'he will be pleased to have some supper; let us cook it for him and
for ourselves.' Caesar climbed upon the stool, and reached down some
meat--I forget now whether it was venison or bear's meat; but we cut
off the usual quantity, and proceeded to dress it, as we used to do
under our father's superintendence. We were all busied putting it into
the platters before the fire, to await his coming, when we heard the
sound of a horn. We listened--there was a noise outside, and a minute
afterwards my father entered, ushering in a young female, and a large
dark man in a hunter's dress.

"Perhaps I had better now relate, what was only known to me many years
afterwards. When my father had left the cottage, he perceived a large
white wolf about thirty yards from him; as soon as the animal saw
my father, it retreated slowly, growling and snarling. My father
followed; the animal did not run, but always kept at some distance;
and my father did not like to fire until he was pretty certain that
his ball would take effect: thus they went on for some time, the wolf
now leaving my father far behind, and then stopping and snarling
defiance at him, and then again, on his approach, setting off at
speed.

"Anxious to shoot the animal (for the white wolf is very rare), my
father continued the pursuit for severa