登陆注册
5223400000041

第41章 CHAPTER SUCCESS AND FAILURE(3)

"We've four biscuits left, an' enough tea for one drink each,"said Rea. "I calculate we're two hundred miles from Great Slave Lake. Where are the wolves?"At that moment the night wind wafted through the forest a long, haunting mourn. The calves shifted uneasily; the dogs raised sharp noses to sniff the air, and Rea, settling back against a tree, cried out: "Ho! Ho!" Again the savage sound, a keen wailing note with the hunger of the northland in it, broke the cold silence. "You'll see a pack of real wolves in a minute," said Rea. Soon a swift pattering of feet down a forest slope brought him to his feet with a curse to reach a brawny hand for his rifle. White streaks crossed the black of the tree trunks; then indistinct forms, the color of snow, swept up, spread out and streaked to and fro. Jones thought the great, gaunt, pure white beasts the spectral wolves of Rea's fancy, for they were silent, and silent wolves must belong to dreams only.

"Ho! Ho!" yelled Rea. "There's green-fire eyes for you, Buff.

Hell itself ain't nothin' to these white devils. Get the calves in the tepee, an' stand ready to loose the dogs, for we've got to fight."Raising his rifle he opened fire upon the white foe. Astruggling, rustling sound followed the shots. But whether it was the threshing about of wolves dying in agony, or the fighting of the fortunate ones over those shot, could not be ascertained in the confusion.

Following his example Jones also fired rapidly on the other side of the tepee. The same inarticulate, silently rustling wrestle succeeded this volley.

"Wait!" cried Rea. "Be sparin' of cartridges."The dogs strained at their chains and bravely bayed the wolves.

The hunters heaped logs and brush on the fire, which, blazing up, sent a bright light far into the woods. On the outer edge of that circle moved the white, restless, gliding forms.

"They're more afraid of fire than of us," said Jones.

So it proved. When the fire burned and crackled they kept well in the background. The hunters had a long respite from serious anxiety, during which time they collected all the available wood at hand. But at midnight, when this had been mostly consumed, the wolves grew bold again.

"Have you any shots left for the 45-90, besides what's in the magazine?" asked Rea.

"Yes, a good handful."

"Well, get busy."

With careful aim Jones emptied the magazine into the gray, gliding, groping mass. The same rustling, shuffling, almost silent strife ensued.

"Rea, there's something uncanny about those brutes. A silent pack of wolves!""Ho! Ho!" rolled the giant's answer through the woods.

For the present the attack appeared to have been effectually checked. The hunters, sparingly adding a little of their fast diminishing pile of fuel to the fire. decided to lie down for much needed rest, but not for sleep. How long they lay there, cramped by the calves, listening for stealthy steps, neither could tell; it might have been moments and it might have been hours. All at once came a rapid rush of pattering feet, succeeded by a chorus of angry barks, then a terrible commingling of savage snarls, growls, snaps and yelps.

"Out!" yelled Rea. "They're on the dogs!"

Jones pushed his cocked rifle ahead of him and straightened up outside the tepee. A wolf, large as a panther and white as the gleaming snow, sprang at him. Even as he discharged his rifle, right against the breast of the beast, he saw its dripping jaws, its wicked green eyes, like spurts of fire and felt its hot breath. It fell at his feet and writhed in the death struggle.

Slender bodies of black and white, whirling and tussling together, sent out fiendish uproar. Rea threw a blazing stick of wood among them, which sizzled as it met the furry coats, and brandishing another he ran into the thick of the fight. Unable to stand the proximity of fire, the wolves bolted and loped off into the woods.

"What a huge brute!" exclaimed Jones, dragging the one he had shot into the light. It was a superb animal, thin, supple, strong, with a coat of frosty fur, very long and fine. Rea began at once to skin it, remarking that he hoped to find other pelts in the morning.

Though the wolves remained in the vicinity of camp, none ventured near. The dogs moaned and whined; their restlessness increased as dawn approached, and when the gray light came, Jones founds that some of them had been badly lacerated by the fangs of the wolves.

Rea hunted for dead wolves and found not so much as a piece of white fur.

Soon the hunters were speeding southward. Other than a disposition to fight among themselves, the dogs showed no evil effects of the attack. They were lashed to their best speed, for Rea said the white rangers of the north would never quit their trail. All day the men listened for the wild, lonesome, haunting mourn. But it came not.

A wonderful halo of white and gold, that Rea called a sun-dog, hung in the sky all afternoon, and dazzlingly bright over the dazzling world of snow circled and glowed a mocking sun, brother of the desert mirage, beautiful illusion, smiling cold out of the polar blue.

The first pale evening star twinkled in the east when the hunters made camp on the shore of Artilery Lake. At dusk the clear, silent air opened to the sound of a long, haunting mourn.

"Ho! Ho!" called Rea. His hoarse, deep voice rang defiance to the foe.

While he built a fire before the tepee, Jones strode up and down, suddenly to whip out his knife and make for the tame little musk-oxen, now digging the snow. Then he wheeled abruptly and held out the blade to Rea.

"What for?" demanded the giant.

"We've got to eat," said Jones. "And I can't kill one of them. Ican't, so you do it."

同类推荐
  • 身观经

    身观经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金刚三昧本性清净不坏不灭经

    金刚三昧本性清净不坏不灭经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 玉豁子丹经指要

    玉豁子丹经指要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 难四

    难四

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 东溟奏稿

    东溟奏稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 钻石闪婚之天价贵妻

    钻石闪婚之天价贵妻

    本文男强女强,一对一宠文。她在孤儿院活了二十二年,被亲人一朝认回。原以为找到家的温暖,却不想一切都只是一场阴谋。传闻苏家大小姐在孤儿院长大,却长得倾国倾城,惹人爱怜。传闻陆家少爷天生命硬,克死了两位前任未婚妻。从继母跟同父异母的妹妹谈话中得知,她的亲生母亲是被这个继母害死后,才得已小三扶正。为了给冤死的母亲报仇,她豪不犹豫的嫁给了陆家大少。关于结婚:苏晚情:陆大少,听说你克死俩个女人了,为了不被你克死,我要形婚。陆奕辰:我同意。苏晚情:陆大少,听说你在外面女人很多,为了我头上不冒绿光,你必须跟外面的女人断干净。陆奕辰:......我同意。苏晚情:陆大少,为了夺回苏氏替我母亲报仇,我要进陆氏上班。陆奕辰:我同意。关于洞房:苏晚情看着面前脱的光光的男人,大叫道,陆奕辰,不是说好的形婚嘛?陆奕辰看着身下的女人邪魅的一笑,你男人我身心健康,怎忍心让你独守空房,说完身子就压了下去......第二天,苏晚情拖着酸痛的身子瞪着某男。某男抹抹嘴巴,一副吃饱魇足的说,我助你斩妖除魔,你助我性福永久!本人不太会写简介,但本文绝对精彩,各位小主放心的跳坑吧,撒花!!!
  • 全篮传奇

    全篮传奇

    走出老东家的苏宸重入全篮网游世界,一入“江湖”便化龙,旦夕之间便在新区凤凰城掀起万重浪...在他的带领下,家道中落的向家姐弟、三十九家连锁网咖大老板陈数、上限极高和下限极低的辣条、三旬老汉张超、差点退役的新秀顾诚、球场老流氓陈方元等人以全篮的名义聚在一起,向高高在上的总冠军发起了冲击!------只要你愿意,你就是传奇!---苏宸
  • 美丽的大森林

    美丽的大森林

    原始大森林,是个多么吸引人的世界啊!没有去过那里的人们都会猜想,那儿一定是个很神秘有趣的地方。千年老树高耸人云,奇花异草香气扑鼻,色彩缤纷的蝴蝶、飞蛾、群蜂尽情飞舞,狗熊、老虎、金钱豹、金雕、飞龙等各类珍禽奇兽乐在其中。故事讲述的是在齐鲁大地读小学二年级的大平、二平跟随妈妈来到东北某林区小镇的姥姥家过暑假,参加了镇小学组织的课外夏令营,昆虫小组和摄影小组活动。于是他们随着小表姐等人便走进了美丽而神秘的原始大森林。通过一系列如,夜进大森林,给狗熊拍照,捉鸟和引鸟等生动、惊险有趣的故事情节,重点刻俩了大平、二平、参花等孩子的不同性格特点。
  • 霸道总裁之呆萌小木木

    霸道总裁之呆萌小木木

    “我才不要娶你,你太丑了.”李烁说道。“你就是那个呆子?”李烁冷漠的说道。“你,你才是呆子,好心帮你,你说我是呆子,看我不打你。”慕凌璟边说边捞起袖子。
  • 中法兵事始末

    中法兵事始末

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 离奇穿越之这个王妃心太狠

    离奇穿越之这个王妃心太狠

    李艺儿看着霄云钰的背影突然开口道“如果有一天我真的离开你,你会怎么办?”霄云钰离开的背影停了下来,片刻后~“你会吗?”二十一世纪失恋少女离奇架空穿越,穿越第一天就坐在了花轿里。新郎是云龙国大名鼎鼎的“战神”钰王,然而,花轿在钰王府停轿后却被告知“王爷有公务在身走不开,麻烦王妃自行下轿入府……”受过情伤的二十一世纪少女,冷漠无情的古代王爷,好戏已经开始,一起静候结局~
  • 山海龙行

    山海龙行

    相传,每一个完整的王朝,都有这一块龙玉。每当东方面临大难,龙玉的力量就会复苏,龙玉持有者无法逃避这份责任,只能为了东方的安全而战。而血龙玉,不属于任何一个王朝,他的出现,只是为了迎击最大的灾难,但这一次,危险的恐怕不止是东方了。
  • 疯狂的炸弹

    疯狂的炸弹

    夜幕,大网似的从天而降,罩住了清源城。月光下,四野一片寂静。欧阳夏雪颓然地坐在鱼塘边上,接连甩了几竿,不见鱼儿上钩,低低叹了口气,就目光空空地望向了罗格。罗格不像夏雪一样焦躁,他对垂钓有自己的理解。钓鱼,本是一个兴趣之事,志趣在钓,并不为鱼。况且,鱼塘的鱼,钓上之后要上秤,比鱼市上的价格高出好几倍。不合算呦!罗格叼着烟,盯着鱼塘,眼神突然一闪。
  • 胃病百问百答

    胃病百问百答

    《丛书》围绕农民朋友十分关心的具体话题,分“新农民技术能手”、“新农业产业拓展”和“新农村和谐社会”三个系列,分批出版。“新农民技术能手”系列除了传授实用的农业技术,还介绍了如何闯市场、如何经营;“新农业产业拓展”系列介绍了现代农业的新趋势、新模式;“新农村和谐社会”系列包括农村政策宣讲、常见病防治、乡村文化室建立,还对农民进城务工的一些知识作了介绍。全书新颖实用,简明易懂。
  • 最近的花朵最香(原创经典作品)

    最近的花朵最香(原创经典作品)

    善读精品美文,拾取久违的感动;体悟百味人生,感受成长的’陕乐。阅读其间,时而在惊险悬疑的案件中悚然而惊,时雨为体察入微的真情潸然泪下,时而又涌动着想针砭时弊的激情……掩卷而思,人性的美丑,世事的善恶,人生际遇的变幻无常不禁让人感慨万千。