ass; "fifty at least--See! they have separated one of the
bucks from the herd--it's running this way!"

Basil's companions had noticed this as soon as himself, and all four now
leaped to their guns. The wapiti was plainly coming towards them, and
they could now distinguish the wolves following upon his heels, strung
out over the prairie like a pack of hounds. When first started, the buck
was a full half-mile distant, but in less than a minute's time he came
breasting forward until the boys could see his sparkling eyes and the
play of his proud flanks. He was a noble animal to look at. His horns
were full grown, but still "in the velvet," and as he ran with his snout
thrown forward, his antlers lay along both sides of his neck until their
tips touched his shoulders.

He continued on in a direct line until he was within less than an
hundred paces of the camp; but, perceiving the smoke of the fire, and
the figures crouching around it, he swerved suddenly from his course,
and darted into the thicket of willows, where he was for the moment
hidden from view. The wolves--fifty of them at least--had followed him
up to this point; and as he entered the thicket several had been close
upon his heels. The boys expected to see the wolves rush in after
him--as there appeared to be no impediment to their doing so--but, to
the astonishment of all, the latter came to a sudden halt, and then went
sneaking back--some of them even running off as if terrified!

At first the hunters attributed this strange conduct to their own
presence, and the smoke of the camp; but a moment's reflection convinced
them that this could not be the reason of it, as they were all well
acquainted with the nature of the prairie wolf, and had never witnessed
a similar exhibition before.

They had no time to think of the wolves just then. The buck was the main
attraction, and, calling to each other to surround the thicket, all four
started in different directions. In a couple of minutes they had placed
themselves at nearly equal distances around the copse, and stood
watching eagerly for the reappearance of the wapiti.

The willows covered about an acre of ground, but they were tolerably
think and full-leaved, and the buck could not be seen from any side.
Wherever he was, he was evidently at a stand-still, for not a rustle
could be heard among the leaves, nor were any of the tall stalks seen to
move.

Marengo was now sent in. This would soon start him, and all