Joe was near to the fire now, and caught up a blazing brand and waved it in the air. Then he kicked the other brands together, and threw on some dry brushwood which was handy.
“They are going to carry off the deer!” shouted Harry, and he was right. Two wolves that had not taken part in the attack on the lads were trying their best to haul away one of the carcasses.
Catching up another firebrand, Joe hurled it at the wolves, and it landed between them, directly on the deer meat. At once the wolves dropped their hold, and slunk back into the circling pack.
The young pioneers were now both at the fire, and did what they could to make it blaze up. As the light grew brighter the wolves slunk still further back, and the fighting, for the time being, came to an end.
“That was a struggle, wasn’t it?” panted Harry, piling more wood on the flames. “At the start I thought we’d be eaten up alive. Did he bite you much?”
“No; his teeth only got into my coat,” answered Joe.
“Do you think they’ll come back?”
“They will if we give them the chance.”
“Let us throw out the dead wolves. That will give them something to feed on.”
The carcasses of the wolves were dragged from the shelter, and while Joe carried two bright torches Harry dragged the dead wolves toward a nearby hollow.