第106章

This fill'd us with Horror，and we knew not what Course to take，but the Creatures resolv'd us' soon；for they gather'd about us presently，in hopes of Prey；and I verily believe there were three hundred of them：It happen'd very much to our Advantage，that at the Entrance into the Wood，but a little Way from it，there lay some large Timber Trees，which had been cut down the Summer before，and I Suppose lay there for Carriage；I drew my little Troop in among those Trees，and placing our selves in a Line，behind one long Tree，I advis'd them all to light，and keeping that Tree before us，for a Breast Work，to stand in a Triangle，or three Fronts，enclosing Our Horses in the Center.

We did so，and it was well we did；for never was a more furious Charge than the Creatures made upon us in the Place；they came on us with a growling kind of a Noise （and mounted the Piece of Timber，which as I said，was our Breast Work） as if they were only rushing upon their Prey；and this Fury of theirs，it seems，was principally occasion'd by their seeing our Horses behind us，which was the Prey they aim'd at：I order'd our Men to fire as before，every other Man；and they took their Aim so sure，that indeed they kill'd several of the Wolves at the first Volley；but there was a Necessity to keep a continual Firing；for they came on like Devils，those behind pushing on those before.

When we had fir'd our second Volley of our Fusees，we thought they stopp'd a little，and hop'd they would have gone off；but it was but a Moment；for others came forward again；so we fir'd two Volleys of our Pistols，and I believe in these four Firings，we had kill'd seventeen or eighteen of them，and lam'd twice as many；yet they came on again.

I was loath to spend our last Shot too hastily；so I call'd my Servant，not my Man Friday，for he was better employ'd；for with the greatest Dexterity imaginable，he had charg'd my Fusee，and his own，while we were engag'd；but as I said，I call'd my other Man，and giving him a Horn of Powder，I bad him lay a Train，all along the Piece of Timber，and let it be a large Train；he did so，and had but just Time to get away，when the Wolves came up to it，and some were got up upon it；when I snapping an uncharg'd Pistol，close to the Powder，set it on fire；those that were upon the Timber were scorcht with it，and six or seven of them fell，or rather jump'd in among us，with the Force and Fright of the Fire；we dispatch'd these in an Instant，and the rest were so frighted with the Light，which the Night，for it was now very near Dark，made more terrible，that they drew back a little.

Upon which I order'd our last Pistol to be fir'd off in one Volley，and after that we gave a Shout；upon this，the Wolves turn'd Tail，and we sally'd immediately upon near twenty lame Ones，who we found struggling on the Ground，and fell a cutting them with our Swords，which answer'd our Expectation；for the Crying and Howling they made，was better understood by their Fellows，so that they all fled and left us.

We had，first and last，kill'd about three Score of them；and had it been Day-Light，we had kill'd many more：The Field of Battle being thus clear'd，we made forward again；for we had still near a League to go. We heard the ravenous Creatures houl and yell in the Woods as we went，several Times；and sometimes we fancy'd we saw some of them，but the Snow dazling our Eyes，we were not certain；so in about an Hour more，we came to the Town，where we were to lodge，which we found in a terrible Fright，and all in Arms；for it seems，that the Night before，the Wolves and some Bears had broke into the Village in the Night，and put them in a terrible Fright，and they were oblig'd to keep Guard Night and Day，but especially in the Night，to preserve their Cattle，and indeed their People.

The next Morning our Guide was so ill，and his Limbs swell'd with the rankling of his two Wounds，that he could go no farther；so we were oblig'd to take a new Guide there，and go to Tholouse，where we found a warm Climate，a fruitful pleasant Country，and no Snow，no Wolves，or any Thing like them；but when we told our Story at Tholouse，they told us it was nothing but what was ordinary in the great Forest at the Foot of the Mountains，especially when the Snow lay on the Ground：But they enquir'd much what kind of a Guide we had gotten，that would venture to bring us that Way in such a severe Season；and told us，it was very much' we were not all devour'd. When we told them how we plac'd our selves，and the Horses in the Middle，they blam'd us exceedingly，and told us it was fifty to one but we had been all destroy'd；for it was the Sight of the Horses which made the Wolves so furious，Seeing their Prey；and that at other Times they are really afraid of a Gun；but the being excessive Hungry，and raging on that Account，the Eagerness to come at the Horses had made them sensless of Danger；and that if we had not by the continu'd Fire，and at last by the Stratagem of the Train of Powder，master'd them，it had been great Odds but that we had been torn to Pieces；whereas had we been content to have sat still on Horseback，and fir'd as Horsemen，they would not have taken the Horses for so much their own，when Men were on their Backs，as otherwise；and withal they told us，that at last，if we had stood altogether，and left our Horses，they would have been so eager to have devour'd them，that we might have come off safe，especially having our Fire Arms in our Hands，and being so many in Number.

For my Part，I was never so sensible of Danger in my Life；for seeing above three hundred Devils come roaring and open mouth'd to devour us，and having nothing to shelter us，or retreat to，I gave my self over for lost；and as was，I believe，I shall never care to cross those Mountains again；I think I would much rather go a thousand Leagues by Sea，though I were sure to meet with a Storm once a Week.