Bill waved his hand at it threateningly and shouted loudly; but the animal betrayed no fear.The only change in it that they could notice was an accession of alertness.It still regarded them with the merciless wistfulness of hunger.They were meat, and it was hungry; and it would like to go in and eat them if it dared.
"Look here, Henry," Bill said, unconsciously lowering his voice to a whisper because of what he meditated."We've got three cartridges.But it's a dead shot.Couldn't miss it.It's got away with three of our dogs, an' we oughter put a stop to it.What d'ye say?"Henry nodded his consent.Bill cautiously slipped the gun from under the sled-lashing.The gun was on the way to his shoulder, but it never got there.For in that instant the she-wolf leaped sidewise from the trail into the clump of spruce trees and disappeared.
The two men looked at each other.Henry whistled long and comprehendingly.
"I might have knowed it," Bill chided himself aloud, as he replaced the gun."Of course a wolf that knows enough to come in with the dogs at feedin' time, 'd know all about shooting-irons.I tell you right now, Henry, that critter's the cause of all our trouble.We'd have six dogs at the present time, 'stead of three, if it wasn't for her.An' I tell you right now, Henry, I'm goin' to get her.She's too smart to be shot in the open.
But I'm goin' to lay for her.I'll bushwhack her as sure as my name is Bill.""You needn't stray off too far in doin' it," his partner admonished.
"If that pack ever starts to jump you, them three cartridges 'd be wuth no more'n three whoops in hell.Them animals is damn hungry, an' once they start in, they'll sure get you, Bill."They camped early that night.Three dogs could not drag the sled so fast nor for so long hours as could six, and they were showing unmistakable signs of playing out.And the men went early to bed, Bill first seeing to it that the dogs were tied out of gnawing-reach of one another.
But the wolves were growing bolder, and the men were aroused more than once from their sleep.So near did the wolves approach, that the dogs became frantic with terror, and it was necessary to replenish the fire from time to time in order to keep the adventurous marauders at safer distance.
"I've hearn sailors talk of sharks followin' a ship," Bill remarked, as he crawled back into the blankets after one such replenishing of the fire."Well, them wolves is land sharks.They know their business better'n we do, an' they ain't a-holdin' our trail this way for their health.They're goin' to get us.They're sure goin' to get us, Henry.""They've half got you a'ready, a-talkin' like that," Henry retorted sharply."A man's half licked when he says he is.An' you're half eaten from the way you're goin' on about it.""They've got away with better men than you an' me," Bill answered.
"Oh, shet up your croakin'.You make me all-fired tired."Henry rolled over angrily on his side, but was surprised that Bill made no similar display of temper.This was not Bill's way, for he was easily angered by sharp words.Henry thought long over it before he went to sleep, and as his eyelids fluttered down and he dozed off, the thought in his mind was: "There's no mistakin' it, Bill's almighty blue.I'll have to cheer him up to-morrow."
