nd put ourselves in readiness, when we heard a terrible
noise in the same wood on our left, only that it was farther onward, the
same way we were to go.

The night was coming on, and the light began to be dusky, which made it
worse on our side; but the noise increasing, we could easily perceive
that it was the howling and yelling of those hellish creatures; and on a
sudden we perceived three troops of wolves, one on our left, one behind
us, and one in our front, so that we seemed to be surrounded with them:
however, as they did not fall upon us, we kept our way forward, as fast
as we could make our horses go, which, the way being very rough, was only
a good hard trot. In this manner, we came in view of the entrance of a
wood, through which we were to pass, at the farther side of the plain;
but we were greatly surprised, when coming nearer the lane or pass, we
saw a confused number of wolves standing just at the entrance. On a
sudden, at another opening of the wood, we heard the noise of a gun, and
looking that way, out rushed a horse, with a saddle and a bridle on him,
flying like the wind, and sixteen or seventeen wolves after him, full
speed: the horse had the advantage of them; but as we supposed that he
could not hold it at that rate, we doubted not but they would get up with
him at last: no question but they did.

But here we had a most horrible sight; for riding up to the entrance
where the horse came out, we found the carcasses of another horse and of
two men, devoured by the ravenous creatures; and one of the men was no
doubt the same whom we heard fire the gun, for there lay a gun just by
him fired off; but as to the man, his head and the upper part of his body
was eaten up. This filled us with horror, and we knew not what course to
take; but the creatures resolved us soon, for they gathered about us
presently, in hopes of prey; and I verily believe there were three
hundred of them. It happened, very much to our advantage, that at the
entrance into the wood, but a little way from it, there lay some large
timber-trees, which had been cut down the summer before, and I suppose
lay there for carriage. I drew my little troop in among those trees, and
placing ourselves in a line behind one long tree, I advised them all to
alight, and keeping that tree before us for a breastwork, to stand in a
triangle, or three fronts, enclosing our horses in the centre. We did
so, and it was well we did; for never was a more f