Therefore, he did not
reach Inman's till two o'clock, and, by the time he had helped Esther
about her work, assisted her young brother to get in a good supply of
wood, and made things more comfortable for the invalid, it was almost
sundown. He stoutly refused to wait for supper, declaring that the
luncheon still in his pouch would serve, and started just as the short
twilight came on. He was a brave lad, and, with no thought of peril,
went off, kissing his hand gayly to Esther.
It took him an hour to traverse the first three miles, and then he
came to a stretch of comparatively bare ground leading through his
father's old clearing, and almost to the top of the hill back of Mr.
Devins's house. He was just urging old Bob into a trot, when a long,
clear howl broke upon his ear; then another and another answered
from east and south. He knew what that meant. It was the cry of the
advance-guard of a pack of wolves.
The howling sounded near, and came swiftly nearer, as though the
wolves had found his tracks and scented their prey.
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