and hit Gif
or Jack."

The door was opened cautiously by Fred, Stowell being too frightened to
assist. Those ready to fire saw several of the wolves in a bunch less
than fifteen feet away. The beasts had found some scraps of food which
had been thrown out of the bungalow and were pawing for more in the
snow.

"Bang! bang!" went the shotguns in the hands of the twins. The wolves
gave loud yelps of pain, and one leaped high in the air. Another uttered
a fierce snarl, and then, seeing the young hunters, made a dash directly
for them.

It was a moment of great peril, for the wolf had been wounded just
enough to make it tremendously ugly. Its eyes gleamed wickedly, and it
showed every tooth in its wide-open mouth.

But Spouter was on guard. He waited until the wolf was less than five
feet from the door, and then blazed away. The charge of shot was so
heavy that the beast fell back, its neck completely shattered.

"Now give 'em a second barrel, boys!" cried Spouter, and a moment later
three more reports rang out.

Then, unable to resist the temptation to get into the fight, Fred caught
up his gun and also fired, managing to catch one of the fleeing beasts
in the hind quarters.

"I guess that's the last of those wolves," remarked Spouter. "I don't
believe they'll come around here again all winter."

The wolf shot through the neck was dead, while at least two of the
others were so badly wounded they could scarcely drag themselves away
through the storm. The others disappeared as if by magic, racing along
at the top of their speed.

"Hello there!" came from out of the storm. "How did you make out with
those wolves?" It was Jack who was calling, and a moment later he
appeared with Gif following.

"There is what is left of the pack!" cried Randy, pointing to the dead
wolf. "Spouter brought that one down, and we managed to wound at least
two others."

"And those that could do it left quicker than them came," added his
twin.

"Good for you, Spouter!" cried Jack. "Evidently spraining your ankle
didn't interfere with your marksmanship."

"Huh! anybody could hit a target if he was right on top of it," answered
the other cadet; nevertheless Spouter was immensely pleased over his
success in laying the big wolf low.

The carcass of the dead beast was dragged into the entryway, and then
Gif and Jack brought a few more sticks of wood from the shed.

"We'll have to skin that wolf," said Gif. "Spouter, you can get a very