The bones were scraped clean in a twinkling; and the wolves now left them, and scattered over the ground as before.
"Come," soliloquised Basil, "I must have more light; they may steal a march upon me;" and he rose up and threw several armfuls of wood upon the fire, which soon blazed up again, reflecting the yellow eyes of the wolves in dozens of pairs all around him.

This helped to brighten Basil a little, and keep him awake; but he sat down again by the fire, and soon became drowsy as before.

Every now and then he caught himself nodding; and, each time, as he shook himself awake, he noticed that the wolves had ventured nearer to the bear-meat.

He could easily have shot any one of them, and thus drive them off for a time; but he did not wish either to waste his ammunition, or startle his companions.
As he sat cogitating how he would best keep awake, an idea came into his head, which caused him to leap to his feet, as if he intended to execute some purpose.
"I have it now," said he to himself, placing his rifle against a tree.
"I'll get a good nap yet in spite of these filthy yelpers.

Strange we didn't think of the plan before." He took up a lasso, and, proceeding to the barbecue, which was close by, commenced laying all the pieces of bear-meat on one end of the rope.
This did not occupy him long; and, when he had bundled all and looped them securely together, he flung the other end of the lasso over a high branch, until it hung down so that he could reach it.