Popular Adventure Tales

by Mayne Reid

  CHAPTER XXXVI.

  A BATTLE WITH WOLVES.

  Next morning they were up by early daybreak. The days were now only afew hours in length, for it was mid-winter, and they were but three orfour degrees south of the Arctic circle. Of course they would requireall the day for the intended hunt of the caribou, as they might have tofollow the track of the herd for many miles before coming up with theanimals. Lucien was to remain by the camp, as it would never do to leavethe animals they had already killed without some guard. To have hungthem on the trees, would have put them out of the reach of both wolvesand foxes; but the lynx and wolverene are both tree-climbers, and couldeasily have got at them there.

  They had reason to believe there were wolverenes about; for these fierceand destructive beasts are found in every part of the furcountries--wherever there exist other animals upon which they can prey.Eagles, hawks, and owls, moreover, would have picked the partridges fromthe branches of the trees without difficulty. One proposed burying themin the snow; but Norman assured them that the Arctic foxes could scentthem out, and dig them up in a few minutes. Then it was suggested tocover them under a pile of stones, as there were plenty of these lyingabout.

  To this Norman also objected, saying that the wolverene could pull offany stones they were able to pile upon them--as this creature in itsfore-legs possesses more than the strength of a man. Besides, it was notunlikely that one of the great brown bears,--a species entirelydifferent from either the black or grizzly bears, and which is only metwith on the Barren Grounds--might come ranging that way; and he couldsoon toss over any stone-heap they might build. On the whole it wasbetter that one of the four should remain by the camp; and Lucien, whocared less about hunting than any of them, willingly agreed to be theone.

  Their arrangements were soon completed, and the three hunters set out.They did not go straight towards the place where Norman had found thedeer upon the preceding day, but took a cross-cut over the hills. Thiswas by Norman's advice, who guided himself by the wind--which had notchanged since the previous day. He knew that the caribou in feedingalways travel _against_ the wind; and he expected therefore to find themsomewhere in the direction from which it was blowing. Following acourse, which angled with that of the wind, they kept on, expecting soonto strike the trail of the herd.

  Meanwhile Lucien, left to himself, was not idle. He had to prepare theflesh of the different animals, so as to render it fit to be carriedalong. Nothing was required farther than to skin and cut them up.Neither salting nor drying was necessary, for the flesh of one and allhad got frozen as stiff as a stone, and in this way it would keep duringthe whole winter. The wolf was skinned with the others, but this wasbecause his fine skin was wanted. His flesh was not intended to beeaten--although only a day or two before any one of the party would havebeen glad of such a meal.

  Not only the Indians, but the voyageurs and fur-traders, whilejourneying through these inhospitable wilds, are often but too delightedto get a dinner of wolf-meat. The ermine and the little mouse were theonly other creatures of the collection that were deemed uneatable. As tothe Arctic fox and the lynx, the flesh of both these creatures is highlyesteemed, and is white and tender, almost as much so as the hares uponwhich they feed. The snowy owl too, the jerfalcon, and the eagle, werelooked upon as part of the larder--the flesh of all being almost as goodas that of the grouse.

  Had it been a fishing eagle--such as the bald-head--the case would havebeen different, for these last, on account of their peculiar food, tasterank and disagreeable. But there was no danger of their falling in witha fishing eagle at that place. These can only exist where there is_open_ water. Hence the cause of their annual migrations to thesouthward, when the lakes and rivers of the fur countries become coveredwith their winter ice.

  Though Lucien remained quietly at the camp he was not without adventuresto keep him from wearying. While he was singeing his grouse his eyehappened to fall upon the shadow of a bird passing over the snow. Onlooking up he saw a very large bird, nearly as big as an eagle, flyingsoftly about in wide circles. It was of a mottled-brown colour; but itsshort neck and great round head told the naturalist at a glance that itwas a bird of the owl genus. It was the largest of the kind that Lucienhad ever seen, and was, in fact, the largest known in America--the"great cinereous owl." Now and then it would alight upon a rock or tree,at the distance of an hundred yards or so from the camp; where it wouldwatch the operations of Lucien, evidently inclined to help him indissecting some of the animals. Whenever he took up his gun and tried toapproach within shot, it would rise into the air again, always keepingout of range. Lucien was provoked at this--for he wished, as anaturalist, to examine the bird, and for this purpose to kill it, ofcourse; but the owl seemed determined that he should do no such thing.

  At length, however, Lucien resolved upon a plan to decoy the creaturewithin shot. Taking up one of the grouse, he flung it out upon the snowsome thirty yards from the fire. No sooner had he done so, than the owl,at sight of the tempting morsel, left aside both its shyness andprudence, and sailed gently forward; then, hovering for a moment overthe ground, hooked the grouse upon its claws, and was about to carry itoff, when a bullet from Lucien's rifle, just in the "nick of time," puta stop to its further flight, and dropped the creature dead upon thesnow.

  Lucien picked it up and brought it to the camp, where he passed sometime in making notes upon its size, colour, and other peculiarities. Theowl measured exactly two feet in length from the point of the bill tothe end of the tail; and its "alar spread," as naturalists term it, wasfull five feet in extent. It was of a clove-brown colour, beautifullymottled with white, and its bill and eyes were of a bright gambogeyellow. Like all of its tribe that winter in the Arctic wilds, it wasfeathered to the toes. Lucien reflected that this species lives more inthe woods than the "great snowy owl," and, as he had heard, is neverfound far out on the Barren Grounds during winter. This fact, therefore,was a pleasant one to reflect upon, for it confirmed the testimony whichthe travellers had already obtained from several of the other creaturesthey had killed--that is to say, that they must be in the neighbourhoodof some timbered country.

  Lucien had hardly finished his examination of the owl when he was calledupon to witness another incident of a still more exciting nature. Ahill, as already mentioned, or rather a ridge, rose up from the oppositeshore of the lake by which the camp was pitched. The declivity of thishill fronted the lake, and sloped gradually back from the edge of thewater. Its whole face was smooth and treeless, covered with a layer ofpure snow. The camp commanded a full view of it up to its very crest.

  As Lucien was sitting quietly by the fire a singular sound, or rathercontinuation of sounds, fell upon his ear. It somewhat resembled thebaying of hounds at a distance; and at first he was inclined to believethat it was Marengo on a view-hunt after the deer. On listening moreattentively, however, he observed that the sounds came from more thanone animal; and also, that they bore more resemblance to the howling ofwolves than the deep-toned bay of a bloodhound. This, in fact, it was;for the next moment a caribou shot up over the crest of the hill, andwas seen stretching at full gallop down the smooth declivity in thedirection of the lake. Not twenty paces in its rear followed a string ofhowling animals, evidently in pursuit of it. There were a dozen of themin all, and they were running exactly like hounds upon the "viewholloa." Lucien saw at a glance they were wolves. Most of them weredappled-grey and white, while some were of a pure white colour. Any oneof them was nearly as large as the caribou itself; for in theseparts--around Great Slave Lake--the wolf grows to his largest size.

  The caribou gained upon them as it bounded down the slope of the hill.It was evidently making for the lake, believing, no doubt, that theblack ice upon its surface was water, and that in that element it wouldhave the advantage of its pursuers, for the caribou is a splendidswimmer. Nearly all deer when hunted take to the water--to throw off thedogs, or escape from men--and to this habit the reindeer makes noexception.

  Down the hill swept
the chase, Lucien having a full view both ofpursuers and pursued. The deer ran boldly. It seemed to have gatheredfresh confidence at sight of the lake, while the same object caused itspursuers a feeling of disappointment. They knew they were no match for acaribou in the water, as no doubt many a one had escaped them in thatelement. It is not likely, however, that they made reflections of thissort. There was but little time. From the moment of their appearanceupon the crest of the hill till the chase arrived at the edge of thelake, was but a few seconds. On reaching the shore the caribou made nostop; but bounded forward in the same way as if it had been springingupon water. Most likely it expected to hear a plunge; but, instead ofthat, its hoofs came down upon the hard ice; and, by the impulse thusgiven, the animal shot out with the velocity of a skater.

  Strange to say, it still kept its feet; but, now seemingly overcome bysurprise, and knowing the advantage its pursuers would have over it uponthe slippery ice, it began to plunge and flounder, and once or twicecame to its knees. The hungry pursuers appeared to recognise theiradvantage at once, for their howling opened with a fresh burst, and theyquickened their pace. Their sharp claws enabled them to gallop over theice at top speed; and one large brute that led the pack soon came upwith the deer, sprang upon it, and bit it in the flank. This brought thedeer upon its haunches, and at once put an end to the chase. The animalwas hardly down upon the ice, when the foremost wolves coming upprecipitated themselves upon its body, and began to devour it.

  It was about the middle of the lake where the caribou had beenovertaken. At the time it first reached the ice, Lucien had laid hold ofhis rifle and run forward in order to meet the animal half-way, and, ifpossible, get a shot at it. Now that the creature was killed, hecontinued on with the design of driving off the wolves, and securing thecarcass of the deer for himself. He kept along the ice until he waswithin less than twenty yards of the pack, when, seeing that the fiercebrutes had torn the deer to pieces, and perceiving, moreover, that theyexhibited no fear of himself, he began to think he might be in danger byadvancing any nearer. Perhaps a shot from his rifle would scatter them,and without further reflection he raised the piece, and fired. One ofthe wolves kicked over upon the ice, and lay quite dead; but the others,to Lucien's great surprise, instead of being frightened off, immediatelysprang upon their dead companion, and commenced tearing and devouringit, just as they had done the deer!

  The sight filled Lucien with alarm; which was increased at seeingseveral of the wolves--that had been beaten by the others from thequarry--commence making demonstrations towards himself! Lucien nowtrembled for his safety, and no wonder. He was near the middle of thelake upon slippery ice. To attempt running back to the camp would behazardous; the wolves could overtake him before he had got half-way, andhe felt certain that any signs of fear on his part would be the signalfor the fierce brutes to assail him.

  For some moments he was irresolute how to act. He had commenced loadinghis gun, but his fingers were numbed with the cold, and it was a goodwhile before he could get the piece ready for a second fire. Hesucceeded at length. He did not fire then, but resolved to keep thecharge for a more desperate crisis. Could he but reach the camp therewere trees near it, and one of these he might climb. This was his onlyhope, in case the wolves attacked him, and he knew it was. Instead ofturning and running for this point, he began to back for it stealthilyand with caution, keeping his front all the while towards the wolves,and his eyes fixed upon them.

  He had not got many yards, when he perceived to his horror, that thewhole pack were in motion, and _coming after him_! It was a terriblesight, and Lucien seeing that by retreating he only drew them on,stopped and held his rifle in a threatening attitude. The wolves werenow within twenty yards of him; but, instead of moving any longerdirectly towards him, they broke into two lines, swept past on oppositesides of him, and then circling round, met each other in his rear. _Hisretreat was cut off!_

  He now stood upon the ice with the fierce wolves forming a ring aroundhim, whose diameter was not the six lengths of his gun, and every momentgrowing shorter and shorter. The prospect was appalling. It would havecaused the stoutest heart to quail, and Lucien's was terrified. Heshouted at the top of his voice. He fired his rifle at the nearest. Thebrute fell, but the others showed no symptoms of fear; they only grewmore furious. Lucien clubbed his gun--the last resort in such cases--andlaid around him with all his might; but he was in danger of slippingupon the ice, and his efforts were feeble.

  Once down he never would have risen again, for his fierce assailantswould have sprung upon him like tigers. As it was, he felt but littlehope. He believed himself lost. The teeth of the ferocious monstersgleamed under his eyes. He was growing weaker and weaker, yet still hebattled on, and swept his gun around him with the energy of despair.

  Such a struggle could not have continued much longer. Lucien's fatewould have been sealed in a very few minutes more, had not reliefarrived in some shape or other. But it did come. A loud shout was heardupon the hill; and Lucien, glancing suddenly towards it, saw severalforms rushing downward to the lake! It was the hunting party returned,and in a moment more they were crossing the ice to his rescue. Luciengaining confidence fought with fresh vigour. The wolves busy in theirattack had either not heard or were regardless of the new-comers; butthe "crack, crack" of the guns--repeated no less than four times--andthen the nearer reports of pistols, made a speedy impression upon thebrutes, and in a short while half their number were seen tumbling andkicking upon the ice. The rest, uttering their hideous howls, took toflight, and soon disappeared from the valley; and Lucien, half dead withfatigue, staggered into the arms of his deliverers.

  No less than seven of the wolves were killed in the affray--two of whichLucien had shot himself. One or two were only wounded, but so badly,that they could not get away; and these were handed over to the tendermercies of Marengo, who amused himself for some time after by worryingthem to death.

  The hunting party had made a good day of it. They had fallen in with thecaribou, and had killed three of them. These they were bringing to camp,but had dropped them upon the hill, on perceiving the perilous positionof Lucien. They now went back, and having carried the deer to theircamping-place, were soon engaged in the pleasant occupation of eating asavoury dinner. Lucien soon recovered from his fright and fatigue, andamused his companions by giving an account of the adventures that hadbefallen him in their absence.