Chapter 7 THROUGH THE ICE.

Happily, the wolf was not the least frightened member of the party. His plunge through space had been unintentional, and when he rolled off into one corner of the cabin he gave a howl of terror.

Brick and Hamp gathered themselves up from the pine boughs, where the blow had tumbled them. They felt sure that they were lost; they expected to be instantly torn limb from limb.

"Stand aside!" yelled Jerry, as he stepped in front of his companions.

There was no time to shoot, for the wolf had turned in desperation, and was in the act of rushing at his enemies.

Jerry clubbed his rifle and let drive. Thud! the heavy stock landed on the brute's head, and tumbled him over in a heap.

"Hurrah!" shouted Hamp and Brick, in one breath, as they rushed to the attack.

The wolf was a tenacious fellow, and he struggled desperately to rise. Sorely wounded though he was, he actually managed to get upon his feet. Then a charge of buckshot from Jerry's gun, settled him for good and all, and he rolled over lifeless.

The whole affair transpired in about a minute, and the plucky lads next turned their attention to the peril that threatened them from overhead.

Two howling brutes were digging and tearing at the hole in the roof. Their lolling red tongues and white teeth glistened in the firelight. The rest of the pack yelped and scurried around the cabin, as though they knew that the feast would soon be ready.

"We'll fix those fellows, never fear," panted Jerry.

He and Hamp lifted their shotguns, and fired together, straight at the glaring eyes and hungry jaws.

With a yelp of agony one of the brutes rolled from the roof, and crashed heavily to the ground. The other was invisible when the smoke cleared; he must have leaped back upon the rock.

The boys were cheered by their victory. They reloaded their weapons and waited, keeping an eye on all vulnerable spots.

"This will be something worth remembering, if we come through it all right," said Brick.

"Morning can't be many hours off," added Hamp. "The pack will be sure to go then."

But the brave lads were spared the horrors of a further siege. All at once the wolves became strangely silent, and the boys heard a rushing noise far back in the forest, mingled with a chorus of faint howls. The sound came closer, and then veered off in another direction, growing more and more indistinct.

"Listen!" whispered Jerry, holding up a warning finger. "There goes another pack of wolves-after a deer or something. Hear them tear through the forest. I'm glad they're not headed this way."

"So am I," assented Brick. "Hullo! what's up now?"

"The siege," shouted Jerry, and the witticism proved indeed true.

The pack around the cabin gave voice to the fading howls of their kindred, and then scurried off into the forest at full tear.

For a time the lads could scarcely realize their good fortune. Then, with thankful hearts, they pulled the sled away from the door, and crept out.

The fire had burnt low, and they hurriedly stacked it with fresh fuel. Two dead wolves lay in the ravine, and the one inside the cabin made three. The bodies were dragged down the hollow, and pitched into a gully between two rocks.

"Let them lay there for the present," said Jerry. "In the morning I'll take the scalps off. We'll get bounty for them."

Encouraged by the brightness of the fire, the boys crept up the slope, and looked at the picked bones of the deer, and at the wolves that the catamount had killed.

"Pretty clean work," observed Hamp. "I don't care to stay here long, though. The catamount may pounce on us at any minute. There's the tree he jumped into."

"But he's not there now," replied Jerry. "I think he's had enough of this locality, and won't trouble us any more. No danger of the wolves coming back, either."

"There is, if the severe weather keeps up," said Hamp, as they returned to the fire. "It wouldn't be a bad idea to cross the lake again, and do our hunting between Moosehead and Chesumcook. This neighborhood is too near Canada and the home of the wolves for me."

"For me, too," added Brick, uneasily.

"Well, I don't suppose you fellows want to move to-night," declared Jerry. "We can talk about it in the morning. I think I could sleep for twenty-four hours straight ahead now."

"But how about the hole in the roof?" questioned Brick. "It won't do to go to bed and leave that open. The catamount might jump down on us."

"Or it might rain or snow," added Hamp.

"It won't do either," asserted Jerry, "but I'm not so positive about the catamount. It will be only prudent to repair the roof to-night. Come, fellows; it won't take long."

Jerry mounted the rock, and then climbed partly out on the roof. The others procured hatchets and started toward a copse of young timber that lay behind the cabin.

"You'll need another prop or two, won't you?" asked Hamp.

"Yes, one of these is broken," Jerry replied. "Cut it thick."

Hamp chose a likely sapling and began to hack at it. Brick struck in now and then. Upon the roof Jerry rearranged the disordered layers of pine and spruce boughs. The boys anticipated a quick completion of the work and then a much-needed sleep.

"Help! Help!"

The cry came from a pair of lusty and vigorous lungs. Their owner was evidently some distance out on the lake and directly opposite the camp.

Jerry sprang back to the rock, and thence to the ground, landing directly between his companions.

Again the appeal for help rang out, mingled with a blood-curdling screech. Then followed a hoarse, quavering noise that sounded only half human.

"Some one is in peril out there," exclaimed Jerry. "It must be one of those strange men. The catamount has attacked him. We have got to rescue him, fellows."

"And mighty quick, at that," added Hamp. "Come on."

The boys ran back to the cabin, where each grabbed a rifle. Then they sped down the ravine and out on the slippery ice. The strange, unearthly noise was twice repeated before they were twenty feet from land.

"It sounds like a college yell, only a good deal worse," declared Brick.

"I'll bet I know what it is," replied Hamp. "The man has no rifle, and he's trying to scare the catamount off by screeching at it. I've heard of old trappers doing that."

"And it often succeeds, too," said Jerry. "There, the fellow is calling for help again."

"Hold on, we're coming!" shouted Hamp, at the top of his voice.

An answering hail floated back on the wind, and was speedily drowned by an ear-splitting yowl from the catamount.

The boys ran on and on. As yet nothing was visible in the deep gloom ahead.

"I wish we had brought a lantern," panted Hamp.

"Too late to think of that now," replied Jerry. "We've got to face the music in the dark. If it comes to close quarters, I'll shoot at the catamount first. You fellows be ready in case I miss."

A moment later the figure of a man loomed out of the misty gray atmosphere thirty yards in advance of the boys. He was running toward them at full speed, and brandishing a gun.

When the man came a little closer, the pursuing catamount could be seen bounding along behind. Suddenly the man stopped. He turned around and yelled savagely. The beast also stopped, and squatted on the ice.

The boys now came up with the stranger, who welcomed them gladly.

"You are just in time," he panted. "I couldn't have held out much longer. My rifle dropped in the snow, and is good for nothing. Shoot the creature, if you can."

At sight of the rescuers, the catamount had swerved to one side, and was now creeping along in a half circle, evidently afraid to venture nearer.

Jerry took aim-unerringly, as he thought-and pulled the trigger. He missed, however, and when Brick and Hamp fired, with no better success, the beast retreated with great leaps.

"Don't let him get away," yelled Jerry, excitedly. "As long as he's alive, he'll give us trouble. We've got to finish him up now. Come on, fellows."

Off dashed the lad on a run, and Brick and Hamp followed. They skimmed over a dozen yards of ice and then slackened speed. Just ahead was a small, bluish spot, but none noticed it.

"Confound the beast!" exclaimed Jerry. "I never saw anything slide out of sight so quickly."

He ran on for several yards, heedless of his peril. Then he struck the thin shell of ice on an air-hole, and like a flash he vanished from the eyes of his horrified companions.

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