But
the animal did not appear, nor did Dick hear any sound save the murmur
of the wind through the snow-clad trees.
The youth wondered if he ought to awaken the guide, but finally resolved
to let John Barrow sleep. "I ought to be able to take care of one wolf,"
he reasoned. "I've taken care of worse than that in my time."
Gun in hand, he advanced upon the bushes once more. He expected to see a
wolf slink away at any moment, but no beast came to view, and, after
walking completely around the growth, he laid down the gun and went to
work vigorously with the ax.
Bush after bush was brought down in rapid succession, until in ten
minutes Dick calculated he had cut sufficient to last the camp-fire for
the rest of the night. Then he lowered the ax and caught up a large
bush, to drag it close to the blaze.
As he turned around he met a sight that, for the instant, chilled him to
the backbone. There, between the blaze and the tree under which John
Barrow was sleeping, crouched a wildcat, a large, fierce-looking
creature, with fire-shot eyes and a stubby tail which was moving
noiselessly from side by side, as the creature prepared itself to make a
leap.
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