It was arranged that Reddy should stand on a bench by one of the small windows and attract the attention of the wolves by throwing out a rabbit skin that was nailed to one of the walls. While the beasts were tearing this to pieces he was to shoot one of them. Furthermore, the instant the live wolves had finished devouring the dead one, Reddy was to pitch out another skin, of which there were many about the hut, of foxes, rabbits and other small animals, which the trapper had collected.
This, they agreed, would probably keep the wolves occupied for awhile, until Tom had got a good start down the trail.
Tom slipped his feet in the snowshoes and stood by the door waiting. While the wolves howled and fought over the rabbit skin, bang went the rifle.
"I got him!" cried Reddy.
In an instant Tom Gray had flung open the door and was off down the trail.
As he had expected, the live wolves were hungrily eating the dead one and had not apparently even noticed his departure.
The boys and girls in the hut sat breathlessly waiting, while Reddy watched the famished animals gorge themselves with the blood and fresh meat of their comrade.
Reddy had rolled up a fox skin into a small bundle, and was prepared to pitch it out to them the moment they had finished.
Just as they had lapped the last drop of blood, he cast out the skin. They sniffed at it a moment, gave a long, disapproving howl, that sent the cold chills down the spines of the prisoners, and then made off down the trail after Tom Gray.
Reddy gave a loud exclamation and jumped down from the bench.