another wolf was disposed of.

In the meantime Andy had been plying the whip with such precision that
the foot of one of the wolves had been torn off and another wolf so
badly lacerated that as it broke temporarily away Jamie dropped it
with the rifle, and then shot the blind wolf which was now roaming
aimlessly about. A stroke from Doctor Joe's axe dispatched the fifth
animal, and the remaining wolf, now at the mercy of the dogs, was
literally torn into shreds.

Hardly five minutes had elapsed from the moment Jamie discovered the
pack trotting out of the woods until the fight was ended. The attack
had been made with such suddenness and such savage fierceness that
Doctor Joe and the boys had scarcely uttered a word.

Now there was the tangle of dogs to be straightened out, and Andy was
compelled to use his whip to drive them from the dead wolves and quiet
them. Hardly one of them had escaped injury from the wolf fangs, and
Dick, a faithful old fellow, was so badly mangled that Andy cut him
loose from the harness to follow the komatik home at his leisure.

[Illustration: IT WAS A FIGHT TO THE DEATH]

"Dick's too much hurt to do any hauling for a month whatever," said
Andy regretfully.

"He won't die, will he?" asked Jamie sympathetically.

"He'll get over un," Andy assured.

"The dogs had grit, now!" Jamie boasted. "There's nary a team in the
Bay could have fought like that!"

"And I noticed you had some grit too," said Doctor Joe. "A wolf's
fangs snapped within an inch of your leg, you young rascal, when you
held the rifle against that fellow you shot."

"I weren't thinkin' of that," said Jamie.

One of the pelts was so badly torn by the dogs as to be valueless. The
remaining carcasses were skinned, and the skins lashed upon the
sledge, and as they turned homeward Andy remarked:

"There's five good skins and they'll bring four dollars apiece
whatever. 'Tweren't a bad hunt when we weren't huntin'."

"You and Jamie can take the money you get for them and start a bank
account," suggested Doctor Joe. "I'll send it to St. John's and put it
in a bank for you, and then you'll have that test completed for both
the second and first class. There's no doubt you've earned it."

"Will you, sir? That's fine now!" exclaimed Andy. "Davy wasn't with
us, and he'll have to set traps to earn his. But he'll get a marten or
two, whatever."

"There's no doubt about David's catching the martens," said Doctor
Joe. "If there'