By the Shores of Silver Lake (Little House 5)

And there, dark against the moonlight, stood a great wolf!

He was looking toward her. The wind stirred his fur and the moonlight seemed to run in and out of it.

“Let’s go back,” Laura said quickly, as she turned, taking Carrie with her. “I can go faster than you.”

She ran and slid and ran again as fast as she could, but Carrie kept up.

“I saw it too,” Carrie panted. “Was it a wolf?”

“Don’t talk!” Laura answered. “Hurry!”

Laura could hear their feet running and sliding on the ice. She listened for a sound behind them, but there was none. Then they ran and slid without a word until they came to the path by the water hole. As they ran up the path, Laura looked back but she could see nothing on the lake nor on the bank beyond.

Laura and Carrie didn’t stop running. They ran up the hill to the house, opened the back door and ran into the lean-to. They ran across that, burst through the door into the front room and slammed it shut behind them. Then leaned against it, panting.

Pa sprang to his feet, “What is it?” he asked. “What has frightened you?”

“Was it a wolf, Laura?” Carrie gasped.

“It was a wolf, Pa,” Laura gulped, catching her breath. “A great, big wolf! And I was afraid Carrie couldn’t run fast enough but she did.”

“I should say she did!” Pa exclaimed. “Where is this wolf?”

“I don’t know. It is gone,” Laura told him.

Ma helped them take off their wraps. “Sit down and rest! You are all out of breath,” she said.

“Where was the wolf?” Pa wanted to know.

“Up on the bank,” Carrie said, and Laura added, “The high bank across the lake.”

“Did you girls go clear there?” Pa asked in surprise. “And ran all the way back after you saw him! I had no idea you would go so far. It is a good half-mile.”

“We followed the moonpath,” Laura told him. Pa looked at her strangely. “You would!” he said. “I thought those wolves had gone. It was careless of me. I’ll hunt them tomorrow.”

Mary sat still, but her face was white. “Oh, girls,” she almost whispered. “Suppose he had caught you!”

Then they all sat silent while Laura and Carrie rested.

Laura was glad to be safe in the warm room with the desolate prairie shut out. If anything had happened to Carrie, it would have been her fault for taking her so far across the lake.

But nothing had happened. She could almost see again the great wolf with the wind ruffling the moonlight on his fur.

“Pa!” she said in a low voice.

“Yes, Laura?” Pa answered.

“I hope you don’t find the wolf, Pa,” Laura said.

“Why ever not?” Ma wondered.

“Because he didn’t chase us,” Laura told her. “He didn’t chase us, Pa, and he could have caught us.”

A long, wild, wolf howl rose and faded away on the stillness.

Another answered it. Then silence again.

Laura’s heart seemed to turn over with a sickening flop and she found herself on her feet. She was glad of Ma’s steadying hand on her arm.