Part 27 (2/2)
The wind was whistling and shrieking about the lonely cabin, the tattered blanket over the rough wood doorway was blown in, and the smoke eddied about the corners of the tent as a quant.i.ty of snow came through the opening, and made the fire hiss angrily.
”It won't take me long, old fellow,” said Dallas; ”and, by the way, I had better buy a tin of powder and some cartridges. Think you'll be well enough to-morrow to clean and oil the guns while I'm down the shaft?”
”I'll try; but the shaft will be full of drifted snow.”
”If it is, I'll drift it out.”
”What's that?” cried Abel, as a faintly heard howl came from the distance.
”Sounds like wolves. No dog would be out in a night like this.”
”Think they will come here and attack us?”
”Don't know. I hope so.”
”What!” cried Abel, with a horrified look.
”Give me a chance to do a little shooting if they come in at the chimney hole. Glad of a bit of sport. Supply us with some fresh meat, too.”
”What, eat wolf?”
”My dear Bel, I get so hungry that I would eat anything now. But they may taste good. Wolf's a kind of dog; they eat dog in China, and I've heard that the bargees do so on the Thames.”
”What?”
”Don't you remember the chaff at Oxford--the fellows asking the bargees, 'Who ate puppy pie under Marlow Bridge?'”
”There it is again.”
”Then I'll take the guns out of the cases if they come nearer. They'll be able to walk up the snow slope right on to the roof.”
But the sounds died away, and Dallas opened a tin and took out a couple of pieces of roughly made damper, whose crust was plentifully marked with wood ashes.
”I can't eat,” said Abel.
”I can, and I'll set you an example. Sorry there is no Strasburg pie or other delicacy to tempt you; and the cook is out, or she should grill you some grouse.”
Abel sat nursing his piece of unappetising bread, while Dallas rapidly disposed of his, the smaller piece.
They had been sitting in silence for some time, with Dallas gazing wistfully at his companion.
”Try and eat the damper, old fellow,” he said. ”You must have food.”
”I can't, Dal. I say, how much gold is there in the hole?”
”I daresay there's five-and-twenty ounces.”
”You must take it, and contrive to get away from here, Dal,” said Abel suddenly.
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