Here we had a most horrible sight. Riding up to the entrance where the horse came out, we found the carcasses of another horse and of two men, devoured by the ravenous creatures. One of the men was no doubt the same whom we heard fire the gun, for there lay a gun just by him. His head and the upper part of his body were eaten up.
This fill’d us with horror, and we knew not what course to take. But the creatures resolv’d us soon, for they gathered about us in hopes of prey. I believe there were three hundred of them. It happened very much to our advantage, that at the entrance into the wood, but a little way from it, there lay some large timber-trees, which had been cut down the summer before, and I suppose lay there for carriage. I drew our little company in among those trees, and placing ourselves in a line behind one long tree, I advised them all to alight, and keeping that tree before us for a breastwork, to stand in a triangle, or three fronts, enclosing our horses in the centre. We did so, and it was well we did, for never was a more furious charge than the creatures made upon us in this place. They came on with a growling kind of noise, and mounted the piece of timber, which, as I said, was our breastwork, as if they were only rushing upon their prey.
O, what a savage battle it was. My man Friday had his great wooden sword in one hand and a pistol in the other, and lay about him as a farmer does swing his scythe, cutting down wolves as the other cuts down grain. Etienne did fight as best he could with his pistols, yet his wounds made him slow and weak and he fell beneath fierce teeth and claws. The Portuguese youth, Dacosta, and his companion were dragg'd down and screamed for several minutes afore growing quiet.
Amidst all this, tho', I was keenly aware that no wolf would approach me. Even these starv'd creatures would not come near the beast. I bethought myself to turn this to our advantage, and yet even as I consider'd this did things take an e'en darker turn.
An awful howl rang in the night, as loud as a cannon or a strike of thunder. At this sound all the wolves did fall back, even those feasting upon our fallen company. A path open'd cross the pack and a fearsome animal did lope out from the wood. As it passed the wolves did snarl and cower, and I had no doubt this was the pack leader.
Truly it was a monster among the wolves, long in the fang and as high as my waist at the shoulder. Its jaw was a handspan and half again across, and each of its claws and fangs were the size of my thumb. A thick grey pelt cover'd it, streaked with white and silver in many places, for this great animal had no doubt ruled its small kingdom for many years.
It came to a halt a few yards from our breastwork and its eyes did pass back and forth over us as a cook's eyes pass over fresh wares at the market. Of our twelve strong company, there were but seven left, if I were to count Friday and myself, and there was little hope we would survive if the wolves attacked again with this huge animal at their fore.
On a sudden, the pack leader seem'd to single me out and sent many a snarl my way. One or two wolves began a low howl, and soon all of them fill'd our ears with their cries. The huge wolf growled and snarled at me, and its teeth did gnash at the air in a manner that could only be a threat to us. Or to me.
"He not want fight you, master," said Friday, who still stood at my side. "He want fight the beast. You here, the beast here, is challenge."
I look'd up at the night sky and the crescent moon above us, and ask'd Friday if he thought the great wolf would let us come back in two weeks, but my man did not laugh.
The wolf howled again, and a most frightful thing then happen'd. Deep under my skin, the beast stirr'd and woke. I cast my gaze upon the crescent moon again and tried to calm the dark thing in my soul, but it was to no avail. The wolf somehow saw the beast within my flesh and wish'd to fight, and the beast had look'd out thru my eyes and accept'd the challenge. Once before leaving the island I had set it free on a night not of the moon. Now it forced the change upon me the way one forces a ship against the current.
I threw off my gloves even as Friday helped me from my cloak and coats, for he saw the mantle of the beast settling upon me. Our companions did question my methods as I stripp'd off my cloathes, but then the beast was near enough they grew silent, except for one merchant's servant who did scream like a child, and was soon joined by the screams of all of them, and a sharp hiss from my man Friday.