CHAPTER TWENTY.
A NOCTURNAL ADVENTURE.
When night came again the young hunters went to sleep by the fire. Asit had suddenly grown chilly, they lay with their feet towards it, suchbeing the usual practice of hunters when sleeping by a fire. When thefeet are warm, the remainder of the body can easily be kept so; but, onthe contrary, when one's feet become cold, it is scarcely possible tosleep. They were not troubled with cold, and all three were soonsleeping soundly.
From the necessity of supplying the barbecue every now and then withfresh embers, a large fire had been kept up during the day. It stillcontinued to blaze and crackle in a bright red pile. The meat remainedresting upon the saplings, where it had been placed to dry.
No one had thought of keeping watch. When camping out at night, intheir hunting expeditions in the swamps of Louisiana, they had notaccustomed themselves to this habit, and they did not think of its beingnecessary here. It is the fear of Indians alone that causes the prairietraveller to keep sentry during the live-long night; but our younghunters had much less fear of them than might be supposed. There hadbeen as yet no hostilities in this quarter between whites and Indians;besides, Basil knew that he carried a token of friendship should thelatter come upon them.
They had not been more than half-an-hour asleep when a growl fromMarengo awoke them. They all started up into a sitting posture, andlooked anxiously out into the darkness. They could see nothing strange.The great trunks of the trees, with the long silvery moss of whitishhue, were glistening in the light of the still blazing fire. All thespace between was gloomy and black as ebony. They could hear nothingthat sounded strange. There was not a breath of air stirring, so thatthe trees were still and silent, as if asleep. Only up among theirleaves and high tops, the tree-frogs (_Hyloidea_) and cicadas kept uptheir continuous music. Amid their numerous and varied calls could bedistinguished the "ll-l-luk" of the tree-toad (_Hyla versicolor_); andfrom the aquatic plants, that lined the spring close by, came the merrychirrup of the _Hylodes gryllus_, or "Savanna cricket." Far up amongthe leaves of the oaks the little green tree-frog repeated his tinklingbell-like note that fell with a pleasant sound upon the ear. But allthese were the usual voices of the night--the voices of the southernforest--and they produced no strange impression upon the listeninghunters. The call of the _Hyla_, indeed--loud and oft-repeated as itwas--warned them that a rain-storm was near; and the darkness of the skyabove confirmed the warning.
But it was not these sounds that had caused Marengo to spring up withsuch a savage growl; and the boys continued attentively listening todiscover what it could have been.
The dark aisles of the forest sparkled with moving lights. Thefire-flies were abroad in thousands; and their phosphoric lamps, morethan usually luminous, also betokened the approach of a rain-storm.
As the young hunters gazed, other lights attracted their attention,causing them to hold their guns in readiness. These lights were verydifferent from those of the insects. They were low down near thesurface of the ground. They were round, of a fiery green lustre, andappeared in motion. Now they remained shining steadily for somemoments, then they disappeared, but immediately shone out afresh in someother place. There were many of them moving about. They were notfire-flies.
Our hunters knew what they were--they were the eyes of animals--of _wildbeasts_! This they knew, but no more. What sort of animals they mightbe was a thing about which they were all three ignorant; and thisuncertainty very naturally filled them with dread. They might be_bears, wolverines, or panthers_.
The boys talked in whispers, looking to the locks of their pieces, andpreparing themselves for the worst. They were, of course, already seenby the animals, sitting as they did in the light of the fire. Marengostood by, looking into the darkness, and at intervals uttering the growlwith which he was accustomed to hail the presence of an enemy.
The shining eyes appeared to multiply. All at once a dog was heard toutter three distinct barks. Was it a dog? No. The long and piteoushowl that followed told that the animal was no dog, but a wolf--_thebarking-wolf (Canis latrans_). The moment it had ceased, another tookup the strain, and then another and another, until the woods rang on allsides with their hideous howls. This did not come from any particularside, but seemed everywhere; and as the boys looked into the dark aislesbetween the tree-trunks, they could perceive glancing eyes--a perfectcircle of them all around!
"Bah!" cried Basil, now breaking silence, "it's only a pack ofprairie-wolves. Who cares for their howling?"
The minds of all were thus set at rest. They had no fear ofprairie-wolves; which, though fierce enough when attacking some poordeer or wounded buffalo, are afraid of anything in the shape of man; andwill skulk off, whenever they think the latter has any intention toattack them. This, however, is seldom the case, as the prairie hunterdoes not care to waste a bullet upon them; and they are often permittedto follow, and squat themselves unmolested around the hunter's camp,within reach of his rifle.
The prairie-wolves are much smaller than any other species of wolf foundin America. They are not much larger than English terriers, and quiteas cunning as the English fox. They can hardly be caught or trapped inany way--though they can be easily run down with horses and dogs. Theyare of a dull, reddish hue, mixed with a grizzle of white hairs. Thisis their usual colour, though, like other animals, there are varieties.They have thick bushy tails, black at the tips, and one-third the lengthof their bodies. They resemble the dogs found among the prairieIndians, of which they are, no doubt, the progenitors. They are metwith throughout all the regions from the Mississippi westward to thePacific, and southward into Mexico. They hunt in packs, like thejackals; and will run down deer, buffaloes, or any other animals whichthey think they can master. They dare not attack a buffalo in the herd,though packs of them always follow a drove of these animals. They waituntil some one gets separated--a young calf, or, perhaps, a decrepit oldbull--which they fall upon and worry to pieces. They follow all partiesof hunters and travellers--taking possession of a camp-ground, themoment its occupants have moved out, and devouring every scrap ofeatables that may have been left behind. They will, even, sometimessteal into the camp by night, and appropriate the very morsel which thehunter had designed for his breakfast in the morning. This sometimesleads to a spirit of retaliation; and the indignant hunter, growing lessprovident of his powder and lead, cracks away until he has laid severalof them stretched along the grass.
They are more numerous than any other species of American wolves; and onthis account--having so many mouths to feed, and so many stomachs tosatisfy--they often suffer from extreme hunger. Then, but not tillthen, they will eat fruits, roots, and vegetables--in short, anythingthat may sustain life.
These wolves take their trivial name from their being met withprincipally on the great prairies of the west--although other species ofAmerican wolves are found in the prairie country as well as they. Theyare sometimes called "barking" wolves; because, as we have noticed, thefirst two or three notes of their howl resemble the bark of a dog. Itends, however, in a prolonged and disagreeable scream.
"I am glad it is they," said Lucien, in reply to Basil's remark. "It iswell it is no worse. I was afraid it was our friends, the javalies, whohad come to pay us a visit."
"Bad enough as it is," said Basil. "We shall now have to keep awake,and guard the meat, or these skulking jackals would not leave us anounce of it by morning."
"That is true enough," replied Lucien; "but we need not all watch. Youand Francois go to sleep. I'll stand sentry."
"No," responded Basil. "Go _you_ and Francois to sleep. Let me keepwatch."
"Brothers," said Francois, "I am not a bit sleepy; let me be the sentry.I'll keep 'em off."
"No, no," exclaimed Basil and Lucien, in a breath, "I--I."
It was finally agreed that Basil should take the watch for a couple ofhours or so--until he became sleepy--when he was to awake and berelieved by Lucien; who, in his
turn, could arouse Francois. This beingarranged, the two latter wrapped themselves in their blankets and laydown again, while Basil sat alone, now gazing into the fire, and theninto the gloomy darkness beyond.
Both Lucien and Francois, notwithstanding the declaration of the latter,were soon snoring like a brace of tops. They had had an early awakingby the bear-scrape of the previous morning; besides, they had been atwork all day, and were wearied. This they must have been, to have goneto sleep with such a discordant howling around them--enough to have keptan opium-eater awake. Basil was wearied as well as they; and he soonbegan to feel what a painful thing it is to keep awake when one issleepy. The eyes of the wolves continued to glare upon him from allsides; but he did not dread them any more, than if they had been so manyhares. There appeared to be a very large pack of them though. Theodoriferous bear-meat had, no doubt, collected all there were for milesaround--in addition to numbers that had been following the trail fordays past. As Basil watched them, he saw they were growing bolder, andgradually approaching nearer. At length, some of them came upon thespot, where lay the bones of the bear at some distance out from thefire. These they attacked at once; and through the dim light Basilcould see them rushing from all quarters to come in for a share. Hecould hear the bones cracking under their teeth, and could see themstruggling and worrying the skeleton and each other in a moving mass.This soon ended. The bones were scraped clean in a twinkling; and thewolves now left them, and scattered over the ground as before.
"Come," soliloquised Basil, "I must have more light; they may steal amarch upon me;" and he rose up and threw several armfuls of wood uponthe fire, which soon blazed up again, reflecting the yellow eyes of thewolves in dozens of pairs all around him. This helped to brighten Basila little, and keep him awake; but he sat down again by the fire, andsoon became drowsy as before. Every now and then he caught himselfnodding; and, each time, as he shook himself awake, he noticed that thewolves had ventured nearer to the bear-meat. He could easily have shotany one of them, and thus drive them off for a time; but he did not wisheither to waste his ammunition, or startle his companions.
As he sat cogitating how he would best keep awake, an idea came into hishead, which caused him to leap to his feet, as if he intended to executesome purpose.
"I have it now," said he to himself, placing his rifle against a tree."I'll get a good nap yet in spite of these filthy yelpers. Strange wedidn't think of the plan before."
He took up a lasso, and, proceeding to the barbecue, which was close by,commenced laying all the pieces of bear-meat on one end of the rope.This did not occupy him long; and, when he had bundled all and loopedthem securely together, he flung the other end of the lasso over a highbranch, until it hung down so that he could reach it. He now pulleyedup the meat--until it was ten feet or more from the ground--and thenfastened his rope to a log.
"Now, gentlemen," muttered he, fancifully addressing the wolves, "youmay prowl about and howl till your throats are sore, but you don't keepme five minutes longer from my rest--that you don't."
So saying, he laid himself down, and commenced wrapping himself in hisblankets.
"Ha!" he continued, as he caught a glimpse of several of the animalsrunning forward and looking upwards at the swinging meat; "Ha!Messieurs Loups, don't you wish you may get it? Ha! ha! ha! Goodnight!"
So speaking and laughing, he stretched himself alongside his brothers,and in five minutes' time was snoring as loudly as either of them.
But Basil, with all his craft, was not so cunning upon the presentoccasion as he thought himself--not half so cunning as the wolves, whomhe believed he had outwitted. The latter, seeing that he had gone tosleep, boldly drew nearer and nearer, until scores of them covered thespot over which hung the meat. Here they ran about, tumbling over eachother, and all looking upward. They remained silent, however, lest theymight awake the sleepers. Some sat quietly on their hams with eyesfixed on the tempting morsel, but not making any effort to get at it, asthey knew it was beyond their reach. These were, no doubt, the olderand wiser ones. Others kept trying their prowess in lofty leaping; but,although the most active of them could get their noses within a fewinches of the meat, it only tantalised them the more. One, however, whoseemed the best jumper of the pack, at last succeeded in snatching asmall piece that hung lower than the main bunch. He was immediately setupon as soon as he had touched the ground, and chased and worried by therest, until he was glad to drop the morsel to save himself. Hissuccess, however, emboldened others to try; and they went on springingupward as before--but to no purpose.
A new idea, however, seemed now to have got into the heads of the olderones; they who up to this time had sat looking on. Several of these rantowards the log, where the lasso was tied; and, seizing the latter intheir teeth, commenced gnawing it! It did not take them long toaccomplish their purpose. In less than two minutes' time, the heavymass came down with a dead sound upon the shoulders of one of the pack,causing him to howl fearfully!
Marengo, who had been alert all this time, now growled louder than ever;and the combined noises awoke the three sleepers. Basil saw what itwas; and, starting up, seized his rifle and ran forward, followed byFrancois and Lucien.
All three dashed in among the wolves, firing their pieces as they ran,and then rushing on them with "clubbed" guns. The animals, of course,took to their heels, and scattered in every direction; but some of them,in their flight, did not fail to carry off choice pieces of thebear-meat. Two were killed by the rifle-bullets; and a third--whichFrancois had peppered with shot--was overtaken and worried to death byMarengo.
The meat was soon gathered up; and Basil, who though somewhat chagrinedwas still confident of his plan, once more looped it in the lasso, andpulleyed it up. This time, however, he tied the end of his rope to thehigh branch of a tree; and as the wolves are not tree-climbers, all feltcertain that, cunning as these creatures are, they could not reach itthus secured.
After throwing more wood upon the fire, the three brothers again took totheir blankets, expecting that nothing would occur to disturb thembefore the morning.