Chapter 15 Fifteen nights meeting wolves

The night came, it was the dark night of the first month, and the moon was not visible at all.Only faint stars illuminate the plain.In the sky, the stars on the zodiac are hidden in the dark fog.The Guamini River flows quietly, like a long sheet of oil sliding down the plane of the mica stone.Feather insects, caterpillars, and bamboo insects were tired enough during the day, and they were all resting, and the silence of the desert enveloped the boundless grassland. All three of them were governed by common laws, lying straight on the haystack and sleeping soundly.The horses were exhausted and all fell to the ground. Only Taojia, a good thoroughbred horse, still slept standing up, with legs straight, resting as handsome as when moving, ready to arrive at the owner's call.The courtyard was peaceful, and the coals in the stove were gradually dying out, shining the last red light in the quiet night.

However, just before ten o'clock, Tarcaf woke up after a short sleep.He frowned intently, and his ears were listening: he was evidently about to hear a small sound.After a while, a vague look of uneasiness crept over his often expressionless face.Was it a wandering group of Indians, or a herd of black tigers, water tigers, or other beasts that abound in the river regions?He felt that the last hypothesis was the most likely, and he glanced at the fuel in the yard, looking even more disturbed.Yes, that heap of dry clover will soon burn out, and will not long hold back those daring beasts!

At the moment, Tarcaf had no choice but to wait and see what happened.So he waited, half lying on the ground, with his hands on the ground, his elbows on his knees, his eyes motionless, like a man awakened from a dream by sudden anxiety. An hour passed.If it weren't for Tarcaf, anyone would feel relieved to go back to sleep when they heard that there was no sound outside.However, where the outsider feels no danger, the Indian's keen senses and his natural instincts can foresee the impending danger. When he listened carefully, Toka let out a faint hiss.Its nostrils stick out towards the exit of the yard.Takaf straightened up suddenly.

Tao Jia felt that she had an enemy.he said to himself. He stood up and stepped out to look carefully at the plain. It was still silent, but it was no longer quiet.Tarcaf vaguely saw many dark figures floating silently beyond the clover bushes.Scattered streamers are flickering, more and more from all sides, bright for a while, dark for a while, just like many phosphorous fires dancing on a large lake like glass.Outsiders will definitely think that it is the fireflies that are common in Panpa District, but he will not be mistaken.He knew what kind of enemy was coming. He loaded his gun and watched from the side of the post.

Not long after he waited, there was a strange mix of barks and trombones on the grassland.The sound of the carbine gave the strange voice an answer, and immediately there were countless terrifying clamors. Glenarvan and Robert woke up with a start and rose to their feet. What's the matter?asked Robert. Is it an Indian?Sir asked. No, it's Aguara.Takaf replied. Robert looked at Glenarvan. Aguara? Yes, it is the red wolf in Panpa District.Sir replied. Both took up their guns and ran over to Tarcaf.Tarcaf directed them by signs, calling their attention to the plain from which came the dreadful cry.

Robert took a step back involuntarily. You are not afraid of wolves, my boy? Not afraid, sir, he answered in a firm voice, and, with you, I am afraid of nothing. great.These red wolves are not any great beasts, as long as they don't come too many, I don't pay attention to them. Leave it alone!We've got plenty of guns, let them come! When they come, tell them to suffer well! Sir said this in order to ease the child's heart. In fact, he couldn't help but feel terrified when this large group of wild beasts attacked in the dark.There may be hundreds of red wolves coming, and three people, no matter how powerful their weapons are, it is not easy to gain the upper hand in a fight with so many wild beasts!

Tarcaf said Aguara, and Glenarvan knew that it was the Indian name for the red wolf.This kind of carnivorous animal has the same body shape as a big dog. It has the head of a fox, its coat color is cinnamon red, and a row of black mane flutters along its back. They sleep in the cave during the day, and the pastures that raise livestock are most afraid of it, because it dares to attack even cows and horses when it is hungry, causing great losses to the local area.Individual red wolves are not very scary, but packs of hungry wolves are different. People would rather kill a jaguar or a black tiger than a group of red wolves, because tigers and leopards can fight head-on, but wolves are not. In front, back, left, and right, there is no end to it.

This time, as soon as Glenarvan heard the howling in the Pampa area and saw the many black figures jumping around on the plain, he knew that there were many red wolves gathered on the banks of the Guamini River. One didn't want to eat a few mouthfuls before returning to the nest.The situation at that time can be said to be extremely thrilling. At this time, the encirclement circle formed by the pack of wolves is gradually shrinking.The horse woke up too, and made an expression of extreme terror.Only Taojia was kicking the ground, trying to break the rein and rush outside.Its owner kept whistling to dissuade it before it settled down.

Sir and Robert guarded the entrance to the courtyard.Their guns were loaded and ready to fire on the first row of red wolves.Suddenly Tarcaf seized the weapons they had raised to aim. what does he mean?asked Robert. He won't let us shoot! why? Maybe because he thought the time hadn't come yet! Tarcaf didn't tell them to shoot because of timing, he had a more important reason.Jazz knew right away when he picked up his bullet pouch and turned it over to show it was almost empty. What's the matter?the child asked. what?We must conserve ammunition.We had a hunt today and we're almost out of ammunition.Less than twenty bullets left!

The kid didn't answer. Are you not afraid, Robert? Fear not, sir. well my boy! At this time, another shot was fired.A cowardly wolf rushed forward and was killed by Tarcaf.The rest of the wolves, who had advanced in close formation, retreated and huddled together a hundred paces from the yard. Immediately, Tarcalf beckoned to the Jazz, and Glenarvan went to take his place.Takaf ran to bring all the burnable things in the yard, piled them at the entrance of the yard, and threw a burning coal.Presently a curtain of flame was drawn across the darkened sky, and through the gaps in this curtain it was seen that the plain was brightly illuminated by the backlight of the fire.Only then did Glenarvan realize that there were so many red wolves to resist in front of him: he had never seen so many wolves gathered together, nor had he seen such ferocious wolves.The fire net that Takaf set up to deal with them stopped them at once, but at the same time accelerated their anger.

Unexpectedly, several wolves advanced to the edge of the fire pit, and their front paws were burned. One after another, the howling and jumping pack of wolves rushed up, and shooting could not stop them.Within an hour about fifteen dead wolves had been lying on the grass. Things are a little bit better now.As long as the ammunition is not exhausted and the fire net is still deployed at the gate of the courtyard, the wolves will not be afraid of charging.But once the ammunition is exhausted and the fire net is extinguished, there is no way to resist the wolves, so what should we do? Glenarvan looked at Robert and felt sad.He forgot himself and thought only of the poor boy, who seemed to have shown courage beyond his years.Robert's face was gray and white, but his gun was still in his hand, and he was determined to wait for the angry wolf to attack. At this time, Glenarvan calmly considered the situation and decided to come up with a radical solution. An hour later we were out of ammunition and out of fire.We can't wait until then to make up our minds. So, looking back at Tarcaf, gathering the few Spanish words his brain had to offer, he began to talk to him, interrupted by intermittent gunshots. It was more difficult for the two of them to get to know each other.Fortunately, Glenarvan knew the habits of the red wolf, otherwise, he would feel very baffled by Tarcaf's words and gestures. Even so, it took him a quarter of an hour to convey Tarcave's answer to Robert. What did he say?asked Robert. He said that he would support until dawn no matter what.Red wolves only come out at night and return to their dens in the morning.They are night wolves, afraid of the sun, and owls among beasts! Then, let's resist until dawn! Yes, my boy, but no ammo but a knife. By this time Tarcaf had shown them an example: a wolf ran to the edge of the fire net, held a knife in his long arm, stretched it through the fire net, and retracted the bloody knife. Fire and ammunition were almost out.Towards two o'clock in the morning, Tarcaf had thrown the last bundle of firewood into the fire pit, and there were only five rounds of ammunition left. Glenarvan looked around, saddened. He thought of the children around him, his companions, and all the people he loved.Robert was silent. Perhaps, in his naive fantasy, he did not yet feel that death was at hand.But the Jazz had thought of it for him.He seems to have seen the inevitable tragic picture: a living child being swallowed by hungry wolves!He couldn't restrain the impulse of emotion, dragged the child into his arms, hugged him tightly, kissed his forehead, and at the same time, two lines of tears flowed out of his eyes involuntarily. Robert was still smiling at him. I am not afraid!He said. Don't be afraid!Don't be afraid, my child!Sir replied, you are right, in two hours, it will be daylight, and we will be saved.Well done!Tarcaf, well played!My Patagonian hero!he yelled again.At this time Tarcaf was killing two large wolves with the butt of his rifle, who were trying to jump over the fire net. However, under the red light that was about to go out, he saw the large pack of red wolves rushing forward in a dense formation. This bloody battle is approaching the final moment, and the flames are gradually lowering.The brightly illuminated field gradually returned to darkness, and at the same time the phosphorescent eyes of the red wolf appeared in the darkness.In a few minutes, the whole pack would be pouring out into the yard.Tarcaf fired the last shot and killed another wolf.Out of ammunition, he stood with his arms crossed, his head dropped to his chest, as if in thought.Was he thinking of a risky, crazy way to fight off the mad pack of wolves? At this time, the attack of the wolves changed.They seemed to run away, and the deafening trumpets suddenly stopped.A dead silence hung over the plain. They go away!said the child. Maybe.Glenarvan listened to the sounds outside. But Tarcaf guessed what he meant, and shook his head at him.He knew that those beasts would not give up their delicious food unless the sun forced them to return to their nests. The moment they guessed, the enemy's strategy had obviously changed. They no longer want to rush into the yard head-on, but the danger their new tactics pose to people is greater and more urgent.The red wolves, seeing that the front door was tenaciously guarded by fire and knives, all went around the yard and attacked from behind. In a few moments the three of them heard their claws scratching at the half-rotted stake.Many strong legs and bloody maws have protruded from the cracks of the shaking pillars.The horse was terrified, broke the rein, and ran wildly in the yard.Greenarvan hugged the child to protect him.Perhaps, in order to escape death, he was trying to rush out of the courtyard, when his eyes suddenly fell on Tarcaf. Tarcaf circled the yard like a wild animal in a cage, and then suddenly ran up to his horse, which was impatient with impatience.He put the saddle and bridle on the horse, carefully, not forgetting even a strap and a button.The growl continued to grow, and he didn't seem to care.Jazz saw him doing this with grief and panic. He is leaving us!Seeing that Tarcaf was about to mount, he blurted out. him!Never leave us behind!Robert said. yes!Tarcaf not only refused to abandon his friends, he was thinking of sacrificing himself to save them. Taojia is ready, it bites the iron, jumps and jumps, its eyes are full of anger, and flashes of lightning, it already understands the master's meaning. Glenarvan caught Tarcalf by the arm with an impatient hand as he seized the mane. are you leaving?He said, pointing to the field where there were no wolves at that time. Yes Tarcaf replied.He understood the gestures of his traveling companion, and then he said a few words in Spanish, which meant: Toka!Good horse, fast.Led the pack of wolves to chase. ah!Tarcaf!Greenarvan shouted. quick!quick!Tarcalf said again.Here Glenarvan, almost speechless, explained to Robert: Robert!my child!do you know !He will sacrifice himself for us!He wants to run elsewhere, leading the wolves to chase him! Tarcaf!friend!The child threw himself at Tarcaf's feet and shouted, good friend, don't leave us! No!He won't leave us! Glenarvan turned to Tarcalf again and said: Let's run together.As he spoke, he pointed to the two startled horses leaning against the post. No, Tarcaf understood, and answered, no.Poor horse, shocked.Tao Jia, what a horse. That being the case, that's okay!Glenarvan said, don't let Kataff leave you, Robert, he inspired me what I should do!I'm going to ride a horse!Let him stay with you. He grabbed Taojia's rein and said, "Let me do it!" cannot!Takaf replied calmly. I must go!Glenarvan took the rein and shouted, Let me go!You save this child!I entrust him to you, Tarcaf! In his excitement, Glenarvan spoke English with Spanish.But what does language matter!At this critical juncture, where gestures speak for themselves, they quickly understood each other.Glenarvan was going, Tarcaf refused.The dispute between the two prolongs, and the danger is approaching every second.The stump behind the yard was scratched and bitten by wolves, and it was about to break. Neither Glenarvan nor Tarcalf had any intention of backing down.Tarcaf pulled Glenarvan to the entrance of the yard, pointed to the wilderness where there were no wolves, and used excited words to make him understand that there was no need to delay. If the scheme of riding a horse to lure wolves fails, the people left behind will be even more dangerous. He also said that only he understands Taojia's temperament, and can use its strength and quickness to seek everyone's safety.Glenarvan was in a panic, and refused to listen to him, insisting on going by himself.Suddenly, he was pushed violently and pushed aside.Taojia jumped up, with her front hooves in the air, and jumped over the line of fire and a row of wolf corpses impatiently, while a child's voice yelled. Forgive me, sir! It was too late, and it was so fast, the two of them could hardly see Robert, who was already lying on the horse's back, clutching the horse's mane, and disappeared into the darkness. Confused child!Robert!cried Greenarvan. But even Tarcaf, who was beside him, could not hear the cry.A terrifying roar erupted at the same time.It turned out that the red wolves rushed to chase the horse like a swarm, and all ran westward in unison, as fast as a ghost. Tarcaf and Glenarvan hurried out of the yard.At this time, the plain returned to calm, and they could only vaguely see a black curve moving far away in the night.Glenarvan lay on the ground, terrified, desperate, clasping his hands.He looked at Tarcaf, who was smiling, as calm as ever. Tao Jia, what a horse!Children, can do it!Must be saved!He kept talking, nodding in approval. What if he fell off his horse? It won't fall! Notwithstanding Tarcalf's confidence, the poor sergeant was anxious till daylight.He didn't even feel that he was out of danger.He's going to find Robert.But Tarcaf wouldn't let him go, he said other horses could not catch up with Taojia, and Taojia would definitely leave the pack of wolves far behind, and if he wanted to find Robert, he couldn't find him in the dark night, and he had to wait until dawn . At four o'clock in the morning, the east gradually turned white.After a while, the thick fog in the sky gradually became pale silver.The dew sprinkled all over the plain, and the wormwood swayed in the morning breeze. Now it's time to go find Robert. Let's go!Takaf said. Glenarvan said nothing, and jumped on Robert's old horse.In a short time the two were galloping westward, returning in a straight line that their traveling companions would not leave. They ran quickly for an hour, looking for Robert from side to side, and fearing to find his bloody body.Glenarvan pushed the horse with spurs, almost piercing the horse's belly.At last they heard gunshots, one after the other in a regular pattern, apparently flare guns. Yes they have arrived!cried Glenarvan. They drove their horses faster, and after a while they joined forces with Paganel's small party.Glenarvan gave an involuntary cry of joy.Robert was there, still alive and lively, on Toka's back, and the horse also neighed joyfully at the sight of its master. ah!my child!my child!Sir cried, with an expression of indescribable kindness. Both he and Robert jumped off their horses at the same time, and ran to embrace each other.Then Tarcaf took Robert in his arms again. He is still alive!He is still alive!Sir kept barking. Yes, I'm still alive, and it's all thanks to Toka! Tarcafe did not wait for this word of gratitude from Robert, but ran to thank his horse.At this time he was talking to the horse, hugging its neck and kissing it, as if human blood flowed in the veins of that fine horse. After a moment of intimacy, he turned to Paganel again, pointed to Robert and said: Good man! He also praised Robert with the common saying of Indians expressing courage, saying: His spurs have never trembled! At this time, the Sir put his arms around Robert and asked him: Why are you, my child!Why don't you let me or Tarcaf take that last risk to save you? Sir, replied the child in the most grateful tone, should I not do the risky sacrifice?Tarcaf has saved my life.You, you are going to save my father's life!