When we rode up to that entrance from whence the horse came forth, there lay the carcases of another horse & two men, mangled and torn by these devouring wolves; and undoubtedly one of these men was the person who fired the gun which we had heard, for the piece lay by him; but alas! most of the upper part of his body and his head were entombed in the bowels of these ravenous creatures.
What course to take, whether to proceed or retreat, we could not tell; but it was not long before the wolves themselves made us to come to a resolution; for such numbers surrounded us, every one of whom expected their prey, that were our bodies to be divided among them, there would not be half a mouthful a-piece. But happy, very happy it was for us, that but a little way from the entrance, there lay some very large timber trees, which I supposed had been cut down and laid there for sale: amongst which I drew my little troop, placing ourselves in a line behind one long tree, which served us for a breast work, when desiring them to alight, we stood in a triangle, or three fronts, closing our bodies in the centre, the only place where we could preserve them.
Never certainly was there a more furious charge than what the wolves made upon us in this place: and the sight of the horses, which was the principal prey they aimed at, provoked their hunger, and added to their natural fierceness. They came on us with a most dreadful noise, that made the woods ring again: and beginning to mount the pieces of timber, I ordered every man to fire, as before directed: and, indeed, so well did they take their aim, that they killed several of the wolves at the first volley; but still we were obliged to keep a continual firing, by reason they came on like devils, pushing one another with the greatest fury. But our second volley something abated their courage, when stopping a little, we hoped they would have made the best of their way, however, it did not prove so, for others made a new attempt upon us; and though in four firings, we killed seventeen or eighteen of them, laming twice as many, yet they several times successively came on, as though they valued not their lives for the sake of their prey.
Unwilling was I to spend our last shot too suddenly, and therefore calling my other servant, and giving him a horn of powder, bid him lay a large train quite along the timber, which he did, while Friday was charging my fusee and his own, with the greatest dexterity. By this time the wolves coming up the timber, I set fire to the train, by snapping a discharged pistol close to the powder. This so scorched and terrified them, that some fell down, and others jumped in among us: but there were immediately dispatched, when all the rest, frighted with the light, which the darksome night caused to appear more dreadful, began at length to retire; upon which ordering our last pistols to be fired at once, giving at the same time a great shout, the wolves were obliged to have recourse to their swiftness, and turn tail; and then we sallied out upon twenty lame ones, cutting them in pieces with our swords, which obliged them to howl lamentably, to the terror of their fellows, who resigned to us the field as victorious conquerors. And, indeed, I question whether Alexander king of Macedonia, in any of his conquests, had more occasion for triumph than we had; for he was but attacked with numerous armies of soldiers; whereas our little army was obliged to combat a legion of devils, as it were, worse than the cannibals, who, the same moment they had slain us, would have sacrificed us, to satisfy their voracious appetites.