The attack had been made with such suddenness and such savage fierceness that Doctor Joe and the boys had scarcely uttered a word.
Now there was the tangle of dogs to be straightened out, and Andy was compelled to use his whip to drive them from the dead wolves and quiet them.

Hardly one of them had escaped injury from the wolf fangs, and Dick, a faithful old fellow, was so badly mangled that Andy cut him loose from the harness to follow the komatik home at his leisure.
[Illustration: IT WAS A FIGHT TO THE DEATH] "Dick's too much hurt to do any hauling for a month whatever," said Andy regretfully.
"He won't die, will he ?" asked Jamie sympathetically.
"He'll get over un," Andy assured.
"The dogs had grit, now!" Jamie boasted.

"There's nary a team in the Bay could have fought like that!" "And I noticed you had some grit too," said Doctor Joe.

"A wolf's fangs snapped within an inch of your leg, you young rascal, when you held the rifle against that fellow you shot." "I weren't thinkin' of that," said Jamie.
One of the pelts was so badly torn by the dogs as to be valueless.

The remaining carcasses were skinned, and the skins lashed upon the sledge, and as they turned homeward Andy remarked: "There's five good skins and they'll bring four dollars apiece whatever.