reinforcements from
the lurking coverts of the woods and bushes.

Albert saw that none of his bullets had struck the leader. The
yellowish-gray monster still hung close upon him, and he was to
Albert like a demon wolf, one that could not be slain. He would
try again. He wheeled and fired. The leader, as before, swerved
to one side and a less fortunate wolf behind him received the
bullet. Albert fired two more bullets, and then he turned to
continue his flight. But the long run, the excitement, and his
weakened nerves caused the fatal misstep. The toe of one
snowshoe caught on the heel of the other, and as a shout pierced
the air, he went down.

The huge gray leader leaped at the fallen boy, and as his body
paused a fleeting moment in midair before it began the descent, a
rifle cracked, a bullet struck him in the throat, cutting the
jugular vein and coming out behind. His body fell lifeless on
the snow, and he who had fired the shot came on swiftly, shouting
and firing again.

It was well that Dick, sometime after Albert's departure, had
concluded to go forth for a little hunt, and it was well also
that in addition to his rifle he had taken the double-barreled
shotgun thinking that he might find some winter wild fowl flying
over the snow and ice-covered surface of the lake. His first
shot slew the master wolf, his second struck down another, his
third was as fortunate, his fourth likewise, and then, still
running forward, he bethought himself of the shotgun that was
strapped over his shoulder. He leveled it in an instant and
fairly sprayed the pack of wolves with stinging shot. Before
that it had been each bullet for a wolf and the rest untouched,
but now there was a perfect shower of those hot little pellets.
It was more than they could stand, big, fierce, and hungry timber
wolves though they were. They turned and fled with beaten howls
into the woods.

Albert was painfully righting himself, when Dick gave him his
hand and sped the task. Albert had thought himself lost, and it
was yet hard to realize that he had not disappeared down the
throat of the master wolf. His nerves were overtaxed, and he was
near collapse.

"Thank you, Dick, old boy," he said. "If you hadn't come when
you did, I shouldn't be here."

"No, you wouldn't," replied Dick grimly. "Those wolves eat
fast. But look, Al, what a monster this fellow is! Did you ever
see such a wolf?"

The great leader lay on his side upon the