ve been
the immediate consequence--as it was, both of us rolled over; but with
small violence, and on soft snow, so that no harm was done.

"As I came off, however, I found myself in a most unpleasant
neighborhood; for my good friend the wolf, hurt pretty badly by the last
shot, had, as it seemed, ensconced himself among the logs, whence Bob's
assault and subsequent discomfiture had somewhat suddenly dislodged him;
so that, as I rolled over on the snow, I found myself within six feet of
my friend, seemingly very doubtful whether to fight or fly! But, by good
luck, my bullet had struck him on the hip-bone, and being of a rather
large calibre, had let his claret pretty freely loose, besides
shattering the bone, so that he was but in poor fighting trim; and I had
time to get back to the gray--who stood snorting and panting, up to his
knees in snow and rubbish, but without offering to stir--to draw my
second pistol, and to give Isegrin--as the Germans call him--the coup de
grace, before he could attain the friendly shelter of the dingle, to
which with all due speed he was retreating. By this time all our
comrades had assembled. Loud was the glee--boisterous the applause,
which fell especially to me, who had performed with my own hand the
glorious feat of slaying two wolves in one morning; and deep the cups of
applejack, Scotch whiskey, and Jamaica spirits, which flowed in rich
libations, according to the tastes of the compotators, over the
slaughtered quarry.

"Breakfast was produced on the spot; cold salt pork, onions, and hard
biscuit forming the principal dishes, washed down by nothing weaker than
the pure ardent! Not long, however, did fat Tom permit us to enjoy our
ease.

"'Come, boys," he shouted, "no lazin' here; no gormandizin'--the worst
part of our work's afore us; the old lame devil is afoot, and five miles
off by now. We must get back, and lay the hounds on, right stret off--
and well if the scent an't cold now! He's tuk right off toward
Duckcedars'--for so Tom ever calls Truxedo Pond--a lovely
crescent-shaped lakelet deep in the bosom of the Greenwoods--'so off
with you, Jem, down by the road, as hard as you can strick with ten of
your boys in sleighs, and half the hounds; and if you find his tracks
acrost the road, don't wait for us, but stick right arter him. You,
Garry, keep stret down the old road with ten dogs and all the plunder--
we'll meet at night, I reckon.'

"No sooner said than done! the partie