st
worthy of a nobleman like him, and he will rarely see such a one as
this."

"He will see nothing like it in the towns," cried the Canadian,
enchanted; "such scenes must make him love the desert."

And he shook the young man gently.

With head thrown back, to inhale more freely the air necessary to his
lungs, the stag flew like an arrow along the plain. Behind him a hungry
pack of wolves, a few white, but the greater number black, pursued him
at full speed. The stag had an immense start, but on the sand heaps,
almost lost in the horizon, the piercing eye of the hunter might
distinguish other wolves watching. The noble animal either did not see,
or else disdained them, for he flew straight towards them. As he neared
them he halted a moment. Indeed, he found himself shut in by a circle
of enemies, who constantly advanced upon him as he stopped to take
breath. All at once he turned round, faced the other wolves, and tried
one last effort to escape. But he could not now clear the solid masses
that had formed around him, and he fell in the midst of them. Some
rolled under his feet, and two or three were tossed in the air. Then,
with a wolf hanging to his flanks, bleeding and with tongue protruding,
the poor animal advanced to the edge of the water, in front of the three
spectators of the strange chase.

"It is magnificent!" cried Fabian clapping his hands, and carried away
by the hunter's enthusiasm, which for the time silences humanity in the
heart of men.

"Is it not fine?" cried Bois-Rose, doubly pleased, happy at Fabian's
pleasure, and at his own. "And we shall witness many such fine sights,
my Fabian! here you see only the worst side of these American solitudes,
but when you go with Pepe and me to the great rivers, and the great
lakes of the north--"

"The animal has got rid of his enemy," interrupted Fabian, "he is about
to spring into the river!"

The water bubbled after the leap of the stag, then a dozen times more as
the wolves followed; then amidst the foam were visible the head of the
stag, and those of the wolves who were pursuing him, howling with
hunger, while the more timid ones ran along the banks uttering their
lamentable howls. The stag had neared the island, when the wolves on
the bank suddenly ceased their cries and fled precipitately away.

"What is that?" cried Pepe; "what causes this sudden panic?" but no
sooner had he spoken than he cried again, "Hide yourselves, in God's
name!