Chapter 4 Rescued The fire was getting low and there was no more wood.
The trees, Henry said.
He pointed toward the spruce trees standing twenty feet from the campsite.
Bill nodded.
He pointed his rifle at a group of wolves and fired.
He nicked one on its hind leg.
It stumbled and yelped in pain while the others scattered.
Henry and Bill raced toward the spruce trees.
They ran faster than they ever had before.
In mere seconds they were each up high in a tree, watching the wolves circle and howl below.
The wolves started to fight among themselves.
The red dog snapped and growled at anyone who came near her.
A large gray wolf, the leader of the pack, nipped at the heels of the other wolves.
He encouraged them to find a way to get the men, and he was keeping them away from the red dog.
His gesture was unnecessary, though.
No one could get close to her.
It was hours later when the wolves heard something in the distance.
The red dog was the first to stop and listen.
She quickly understood and ran off in the opposite direction.
The wolf pack followed.
Henry and Bill waited, wondering what could have scared them off.
A half-dozen men approached on sleds.
Henry and Bill could not believe their luck.
They shouted and waved to the men.
Up here, Henry called.
You came just in time.
The sled stopped beneath the trees.
One of the men called.
What are you doing up there?
A red dog, Bill stuttered.
She lured our sled dogs away.
A pack of wolves tried to get us.
They helped Henry and Bill down.
The two men hugged their rescuers.
There was not much time for questions and answers, though.
Both men fell asleep almost immediately, worn out from their adventure.
While the other men set up camp and started supper, Henry and Bill snored loudly on blankets.
By this time, the wolf pack was already far away.
It was on a new trail, hoping to pick up another scent in the frozen wild.
As the moon rose in the sky, the wolves ran swiftly through the woods.
The story of Henry and Bill was now over, while the story of the red dog and the wolves was just beginning.