CHAPTER XXV.A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.

CHAPTER XXV.A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.

I now found myself face to face with one of the most dangerous positions into which it had ever been my misfortune to stumble. The wolf that had attacked me was both large and fierce, and unless by some means I became able to combat its onslaught, I felt that my life might end then and there.

My terrible scream made the animal draw back for an instant, and during this brief space of time I managed through sheer desperation to free my right hand.

While doing this, I remember that close to the spot where I was a prisoner, I had noticed several smaller rocks lying at the base of the elm. I bent down, and by reaching around, managed to secure one of these, and balanced it over my head.

I had hardly done so before the wolf gathered himself together, and made another leap, this time directly for my throat.

With all my strength I hurled the rock. By pure chance my aim was true, and the missile struck the brute squarely in the face.

He uttered a sharp cry of pain and tumbled back. As he did so, I stooped down and picked up another, but much smaller stone.

It took him fully a minute to recover from the blow I had given him, and when he approached again, he did so with great caution.

But this time I did not give him the chance to make the leap. It was no pleasant thought to have him so close to my throat. I took careful aim at him while he was crouching, and let fly with all the strength at my command.

The stone struck him directly in the right eye, and its force was so great that it must have ruined that optic. He uttered a terrible howl, and turning, slunk out of sight.

I listened intently, and heard him trot off for a short distance, and then stop. I knew his nature was not one to give up what he had once undertaken, and that as soon as he had recovered partly from the pain I had inflicted, he would make another attempt on my life.

I bent down, searching for another stone, but found none within reach. There was a good one that I could just touch with the tips of my fingers, but that was all.

My hands and lips were bleeding, but utterly unmindful of this, I began work on the rope that stillbound my body and feet. I believe that I worked quickly, but to me, at the time, a second seemed an age.

At length I had myself all liberated but my left foot, and was just freeing this when the wolf again appeared. He hardly made a sound, but being on the alert, I felt his presence long before he got ready to make his final attack.

I could not understand why the wolf had been so ferocious at this time of the year. It was midsummer, and there must have been plenty of small game on the island upon which he could feed. Perhaps it was only the smell of human blood that incited him to charge upon me.

Hardly realizing what I was doing, I picked up the rope and whirled it at him. The latter turned and twisted upon the ground like a snake, and as its end reached the wolf, he sprang back several feet.

Seeing this, I threw the rope at him again, just as he was ready to spring forward.

This time the coil twisted about one of his forelegs, and by pulling upon it, I tangled him up in such a fashion that he tumbled on his back.

At this the beast gave such a cry as I had never heard before. It was one of wonder and fear combined, and it was accompanied by a sudden drawing away and vicious snap at the rope.

He did not, however, hold the rope in his mouth long. In an instant he had disengaged himself from the snarl, and this done he broke for cover, and disappeared from sight forever.

It was an odd way to escape, and I considered myself very lucky that fortune had favored me.

But then I did not know but what the wolf intended to return, and so I lost no time in untying the remainder of the rope that was around me.

At the end of five minutes’ hard work, I found myself free. The blood flowed from both of my hands, which were rapidly getting stiff.

The first thing I did was to hunt up a stout club with which to defend myself from future attacks should any come.

This done, I stopped at a spring and bathed my wounds in the cool water. One of my wrists I tied up in my handkerchief, and the other in some lining torn from the old coat I wore.

I had hardly finished this operation when I heard footsteps approaching from the direction of the shore. At first I had an impression that the wolf was returning, but soon recognized the sounds as those proceeding from a human being.

Instinctively I hurried out of sight, dragging the rope behind me. I had hardly done so when I heard a yelp, a cry of alarm, and a pistol-shot in quick succession.

“There! I reckon you’re done for!” I heard a voice exclaim. “That makes one wolf less on this island. By thunder! I wonder if any of the critters have attacked that boy?”

I thought the voice was that of Avery, and I was not mistaken. I saw the flash of a lantern a moment later, and the man stepped into the clearing.

“Reuben Stone!” he called.

I made no answer, and he gazed carefully about on all sides.

“This looks like the spot,” muttered Avery. “Yet if he ain’t here I must have made a mistake, for he couldn’t have got away.”

He continued to hunt around until he reached the base of the rocks where I had been captured.

“No, this is the right place,” he went on. “Here is the very spot we had the tussle.”

“Reuben Stone!” he called out. “If you don’t want to starve to death in these woods you had better answer.”

He listened a moment and then repeated his cry.

I could not help but wonder what had brought him back, but I was not kept long in suspense.

“That boy must know what has become of the boat,” he went on to himself. “He seems to be the only one around.”

He paused for a moment more and looked up intothe trees. During this time, I fairly held my breath so fearful was I of discovery.

At length he passed on, satisfied, I think, that he had made some mistake. I followed, taking good care on this occasion that I should keep a respectable distance in the rear and not make any noise.

Avery passed around the spot, and finally came back to it. He seemed both perplexed and chagrined at believing that he had made some mistake. I watched him closely, anxious to know what would be the man’s next move.

At last he gave up the search; and with a final call to me to answer, or he would leave me to the fate mentioned before, he set out for the shore.

It did not take a great while to reach the spot where he had left his two companions. They were seated on some rocks, and sprang up as he approached.

“Well, what did the boy say?” demanded Yates.

“Couldn’t find him!” grumbled Avery sullenly.

“Couldn’t find Reuben!” ejaculated Mr. Norton.

“No. He has got away.”

“Impossible!” exclaimed Yates. “I tied”—

“You are always bragging about what you can do,” sneered my guardian. “Now the boy is gone and the deuce is to pay.”

“Couldn’t you see anything of him?” went onYates, who was unwilling to believe what he had heard.

“No. He either got away, or else the wolves have made way with him.”

This reply brought forth more questions, and Avery had to tell his story.

It appeared to disconcert the trio not a little.

“Well, if the boy is gone and the boat too, I don’t see what we are going to do about it,” said Mr. Norton.

“The neighborhood is getting too hot for us,” added Avery. “I move we build a raft rather than stay here to be captured.”

“Easier said than done,” said Yates. “Building a raft is all well enough in a story-book, but that is as far as it goes. That boy must have a boat somewhere. I move we separate and hunt her up.”

This was finally agreed to, and the party of three broke up. Mr. Norton started around the west shore, and I followed him.

Upon the water it was quite bright, and I had no doubt but that sooner or later one of the party would see the Catch Me and notify the others. My one hope was that Ford might return before the discovery occurred. If he did not, how was the band of robbers to be traced afterwards?

Suddenly an idea struck me, and I upbraided myselffor not having thought of it before. It was to wade out to my craft, board her, and sail out and stand guard around the island until the arrival of the police.

I resolved to act upon the inspiration at once. Pulling off my shoes and stockings, I fastened them securely around my neck, and made for the shallow offing where the Catch Me lay.

“Hullo! there’s a boat!” I heard Mr. Norton suddenly cry.

I made a rush for the craft. In an instant he discovered me, and a moment later struck me a blow on the head that laid me senseless on the rocks.

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