ather a new experience for me, you see.'

A minute later Tom pulled up and sat down.

'Come behind me,' he said, 'just in case any of these brutes _should_
spring at us before I get my little toy to work on them. I shan't shoot
until they are within ten yards or so. I want to make sure of one, then
they will stop and eat him if they don't run away.'

I got behind Tom and crouched down, and we watched them coming. They
were now in full cry, heads down, like a pack of hounds. When within
fifty yards of us, the leader raised his head and saw us. He gave a
great yelp, and came scudding along, followed by his band. At twenty
yards they slowed down and stopped, seeming to lose heart. Suddenly one
sat down on his haunches, and his example was followed by two or three
others.

As for me, my teeth were all a-chatter with terror. I wished to suggest
to Tom that he should try the effect of a careful shot at one of the
sitting wolves, but no words would come. I felt as though I were in the
grip of a night-mare, awake to the horror of our position, and yet quite
helpless. Tom suddenly spoke.

'I am going to fire,' he said. 'Don't speak or move for a minute.' He
pointed his pistol, took a long aim, and pulled the trigger.

No wolf fell, but the shot produced a curious effect.

In an instant every wolf of the nine had 'dispersed' as though the pack
had been scattered by some mysterious force. They fled in every
direction except towards us. Tom uttered a cry of triumph. For a hundred
or two yards the wolves careered as though they were mad. At a furlong's
distance every wolf stopped and turned round. Not one of them uttered a
sound.

'What a bad shot!' said Tom. 'Idiot that I was! I don't understand these
things. Are you any good with them?'

I had found my tongue, and replied that I had practised at a mark
occasionally. 'You take one more shot, and then let me try one,' I
suggested.

'Good,' said Tom. 'I have been thinking. It's only about a mile to that
wide crack, the ten-footer. I think I could skate as far as that with an
effort. When we get near, I'll rest if necessary, and after that we will
fly it. I doubt if the wolves will follow us over.'

This was an excellent idea. We started off. If either of us had hoped
that the savage brutes at our heels would have been discouraged from
further pursuit, we were soon disappointed, for within a minute all nine
were again in full cry after us at two hundred yards' distance. F