Page 235 - A Jacobite Exile

As soon as the wolves fled, the gentleman turned to Charlie, and, flinging
down his weapons, threw his arms round his neck.

"You have preserved us from death, sir. You have saved my wife and child

from being torn to pieces. How can I express my thanks to you?"

"It was fortunate that we happened to be here," Charlie said, "and that we

had this fire handy."

A cry from the child called off the gentleman's attention, and he ran to his
wife, who had sunk fainting on the ground; and Charlie, not a little pleased
at this diversion, turned to Ladislas and his men, who were looking on with

the most intense astonishment at the scene. Charlie leapt over the branch,
and grasped Ladislas by the hand.

"You have arrived at the nick of time, Ladislas. Another three minutes, and
it would have been all over with us."

"Yes, I could see it was a close thing as soon as I caught sight of you. We

have been wondering all night what became of you, and set out as soon as it
was light. We fired a shot occasionally, but we listened in vain for your
three shots."

"We fired them half an hour after daylight," Charlie said; "but, as we had

then only five charges left between us, and there were wolves all round, we
dared not waste them."

"We heard firing at last," the captain went on. "First two shots faintly, then
two nearer, and a minute later two others. We knew then that you must be

engaged with wolves, and we were running as hard as we could in the
direction of the shots, when we heard a number fired close together. Of
course we could make nothing of it, but on we ran. Then there was another

outbreak of firing, this time quite close. A moment later we caught sight of
a confused mass. There was a fire, and a sledge with two horses, and a man

standing up in it shooting; and we could see a desperate fight going on with
the wolves in front, so Alexander and Hugo fired their pieces into the thick