第105章
These things，and the Approach of Night，called us off，or else，as Friday would have had us，we should certainly have taken the Skin of this monstrous Creature off，which was which saving；but we had three Leagues to go，and our Guide hasten'd us，so we left him，and went forward on our Journey.
The Ground was still cover'd with Snow，tho' not so deep and dangerous as on the Mountains，and the ravenous Creatures，as we heard afterwards，were come down into the Forest and plain Country，press'd by Hunger to seek for Food；and had done a great deal of Mischief in the Villages，where they surpriz'd the Country People，kill'd a great many of their Sheep and Horses，and some People too.
We had one dangerous Place to pass，which our Guide told us，if there were any more Wolves in the Country，we should find them there；and this was in a small Plain，surrounded with Woods on every Side，and a long narrow Defile or Lane，which we were to pass to get through the Wood，and then we should come to the Village where we were to lodge.
It was within half an Hour of Sun-set when we entred the first Wood；and a little after Sun-set，when we came into the Plain. We met with nothing in the first Wood，except，that in a little Plain within the Wood，which was not above two Furlongs over，we saw five great Wolves cross the Road，full Speed one after another，as if they had been in Chase of some Prey，and had it in View；they took no Notice of us，and were gone，and out of our Sight in a few Moments.
Upon this our Guide，who by the Way was a wretched faint-hearted Fellow，bid us keep in a ready Posture；for he believed there were more Wolves a coming.
We kept our Arms ready，and our Eyes about us，but we saw no more Wolves，'till we came thro' that Wood，which was near half a League，and entred the Plain；as soon as we came into the Plain，we had Occasion enough to look about us：The first Object we met with，was a dead Horse；that is to say，a poor Horse which the Wolves had kill'd，and at least a Dozen of them at Work；we could not say eating of him，but picking of his Bones rather；for they had eaten up all the Flesh before.
We did not think fit to disturb them at their Feast，neither did they take much Notice of us：Friday would have let fly at them，but I would not suffer him by any Means；for I found we were like to have more Business upon our Hands than we were aware of. We were not gone half over the Plain，but we began to hear the Wolves howl in the Wood on our Left，in a frightful Manner，and presently alter we saw about a hundred coming on directly towards us，all in a Body，and most of them in a Line，as regularly as an Army drawn up by experienc'd Officers. I scarce knew in what Manner to receive them；but found to draw our selves in a close Line was the only Way：so we form'd in a Moment：But that we might not have too much Interval，I order'd，that only every other Man should fire，and that the others who had not fir'd should stand ready to give them a second Volley immediately，if they continued to advance upon us，and that then those who had fir'd at first，should not pretend to load their Fusees again，but stand ready with every one a Pistol；for we were all arm'd with a Fusee，and a Pair of Pistols each Man；so we were by this Method able to fire six Volleys，half of us at a Time；however，at present we had no Necessity；for upon firing the first Volley，the Enemy made a full Stop，being terrify'd as well with the Noise，as with the Fire；four of them being shot into the Head，dropp'd，several others were wounded，and went bleeding off，as we could see by the Snow：I found they stopp'd，but did not immediately retreat；whereupon remembring that I had been told，that the fiercest Creatures were terrify'd at the Voice of a Man，I caus'd all our Company to hollow as loud as we could；and I found the Notion not altogether mistaken；for upon our Shout，they began to retire，and turn about；then I order'd a second Volley to be fir'd，in their Rear，which put them to the Gallop，and away they went to the Woods.
This gave us leisure to charge our Pieces again，and that we might loose no Time，we kept going；but we had but little more than loaded our Fusees，and put our selves into a Readiness，when we heard a terrible Noise in the same Wood，on our Left，only that it was farther onward the same Way we were to go.
The Night was coming on，and the Light began to be dusky，which made it worse on our Side；but the Noise encreasing，we could easily perceive that it was the Howling and Yelling of those hellish Creatures；and on a sudden，we perceiv'd 2 or 3 Troops of Wolves，one on our Left，one behind us，and one on our Front；so that we seem'd to be surrounded with 'em；however，as they did not fall upon us，we kept our Way forward，as fast as we could make Our Horses go，which the Way being very rough，was only a good large Trot；and in this Manner we came in View of the Entrance of a Wood，through which we were to pass，at the farther Side of the Plain；but we were greatly surpriz'd，when coming nearer the Lane，or Pass，we saw a confus'd Number of Wolves standing just at the Entrance.
On a sudden，at another opening of the Wood，we heard the Noise of a Gun；and looking that Way，out rush'd a Horse，with a Saddle，and a Bridle on him，flying like the Wind，and sixteen or seventeen Wolves after him，full Speed；indeed，the Horse had the Heels of them；but as we suppos'd that he could not hold it at that rate，we doubted not but they would get up with him at last，and no question but they did.
But here we had a most horrible Sight；for riding up to the Entrance where the Horse came out，we found the Carcass of another Horse，and of two Men，devour'd by the ravenous Creatures，and one of the Men was no doubt the same who we heard fir'd the Gun；for there lay a Gun just by him，fir'd off；but as to the Man，his Head，and the upper Part of his Body was eaten up.