inter set in. The drifting snow
quickly found its way through the minutest hole in the tent skins. To
prevent this, I beat it down firmly all round the edge, stopping every
crevice, and I raised a pile of logs before the door. "I don't think I
should mind a fight with a dozen red-skins," I thought to myself; "but
those wolves--I don't like them." The wolves I dreaded (and not without
reason) found me out at last. The wind was roaring and whistling among
the leafless trees, the snow was beating against my tent, and the night
was as dark as Erebus, when a low, distant howl saluted my ears--heard
even above the tempest. It continued increasing, till it broke into a
wild chorus of hideous shrieks. I had no dread of ghostly visitors. I
would rather have faced a whole array of the most monstrous hobgoblins,
than have felt that I was surrounded, as I knew I was, by a herd of
those brutes--the wolves.

Till almost morning they continued their ugly concert; but they have a
natural fear of man, and it is only when pressed by hunger that they
will attack him. The ground, however, was now completely covered with
snow, and I knew that they would find but little food. As I could not
venture out, most of the day passed away in a half-unconscious dreamy
state; part of it I slept. The next night I was awoke soon after dark
by the wolfish chorus; it was much nearer than before. The sounds
formed themselves into words to my disordered senses. "We'll eat you
up; we'll eat you up ere long," they appeared to say. A third night
came. The pack seemed increased in numbers, as if they had been
collecting from every quarter. I fancied that I could hear their feet
crackling on the crisp snow as they scampered round and round the tent.
That night they brought their circle closer and closer, till I fully
expected that they would commence their attack. Still they held off,
and with the morning light took their departure. I watched the next
night setting in with a nervous dread. As soon as darkness spread over
the snow-covered face of the country, on the horrid pack came,
scampering up from all quarters.

Nearer and nearer approached the cries and howls. They commenced as
before, scampering round the tent, and every time it seemed narrowing
the circle. I knew that they must be closer to me. I stirred up my
fire with a long stick I kept by me for that purpose, and I felt sure I
saw the impression of their noses as, having smelled