Page:The Gypsy Lad of Roumania (1914).djvu/23

Rh the prince’s castle, Helena bade Peter ride to the camp to see how they did, and carry them some food from home. Peter was overjoyed to go on this errand. He was ready to start at dawn; and rode off over the hills pretending that he was going to be a soldier himself. He had slung his bow and quiver of arrows at his shoulder. Once he fitted an arrow and shot at a certain mark on a tree that he was approaching. He was pleased to see how close he came to the mark. When the prince sent for him, he should see that he was able to shoot straight.

He came upon a wild piece of woodland as he approached the castle. Emerging into an open glade he judged he was almost through the wood when he came upon a sight that halted him almost paralyzed with horror. A small child toddled along on the grass, and walking parallel with him, Peter could see through the bushes, a big gaunt wolf. Even as Peter stared, the wolf sought an opening in the bushes to get through. Peter fitted an arrow in haste. As the long gray head emerged within a few feet of the child, the arrow sang to its mark. It sank deep in the shoulder and the wolf sprang back with a snarl, while Peter, urging on his horse, dashed down the glade. The beast still snarled just behind the screen of bushes, and Peter could hardly halt his horse, which scented the wolf. But he slid off, holding the horse with one hand, and picked up the child.

Later, when he talked of it, Peter had to acknowledge there were a few minutes that were terrifying. Whenever he tried to put the child on the horse it would start