"Guess I had better wake up Shep," he told himself. "He has got to take the next watch anyway."
He aroused his chum and told Shep of what he had heard. Then came more of the howls, still closer.
"They are certainly coming this way," said the doctor's son, picking up his gun. "And I'm afraid there must be quite a number of them."
After this came another period of silence. Both boys kept on the alert, Snap on one side of the camp and Shep on the other. They felt sure that the wolves were coming closer and they were not mistaken.
"I see one!" cried Snap, as a pair of gleaming eyes showed themselves over a rim of snow.
"I see three or four," responded Shep. "Call Giant and Whopper."
The words had scarcely left his lips when Snap took aim and fired at one of the wolves, wounding it in the shoulder. The report of the shotgun brought Giant and Whopper to their feet without delay.
"What's up?" came from both.
"Wolves!" answered the leader of the club, laconically. "Get your guns!"
The shot had caused the wolves to fall back a little, and taking advantage of this, Snap reloaded the empty barrel of his shotgun and stirred up the fire still more.