PFC Chapter 82 Late at Night, a Wolf Pack Attacks the Ranch
Chapter 82 Late at Night, a Wolf Pack Attacks the Ranch
On a dark and windy night, four nine-month-old wolf cubs were tightly bound to iron stakes around the livestock shed. They trembled and made weak, frightened "woof woof..." sounds.
In the impenetrable darkness, more than twenty pairs of eerie green will-o'-the-wisps silently emerged, creeping close to the ground.
The powerful silhouette of the North American gray wolf was faintly visible in the shadows, its heavy breathing carrying a bloodthirsty desire.
Their target was clear: the restless livestock in the shed.
Nearly thirty horses and fifteen bison!
A wolf cub seemed to sense the approach and murderous intent of its kind. Fear broke through its whimpers, and it suddenly burst into a piercing, mournful "Awooo—!!!" that tore through the night.
That dying wail was like an ice pick, instantly piercing Tom's hazy sleep!
He sat up with a start, his heart pounding.
"Wolf!"
Almost simultaneously!
"Awooo—!" The alpha wolf's long howl exploded!
More than twenty dark figures, like black arrows released from a bow, burst forth from the shadows from all directions and rushed madly toward the livestock shed!
The wooden door slammed shut with a loud crack from the impact, and the terrified cries of the livestock and the greedy howls of the wolves instantly shattered the deathly silence of the pasture!
"Grab your weapons!" Tom kicked open the door barefoot, his Winchester sword blazing with fury! The gray wolf at the front howled and tumbled out.
James, holding a torch, rushed out, and the flames and the explosion of gunfire instantly tore through the darkness, illuminating the bloody battlefield!
boom!boom!
Blood was scattered all over the ground.
The wolf pack was exceptionally fierce, and the wounded beast was only aroused to become even more ferocious, dragging its broken body towards the group!
But more and more people gathered at the ranch, and the gunfire became as dense as a sudden downpour!
The wolf pack scattered instantly!
whimpering, it tucked its tail between its legs and fled in all directions for its life!
"Zach! Ennis! Cooper!" Tom roared like thunder, "Grab your weapons, mount your horses, light the torches! Chase after them!"
He whirled around, his eyes piercing Simone like knives: "Keep an eye on the ranch!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already rushed back into the house like a whirlwind, and in the blink of an eye, he was back out holding a torch.
"Tom! Don't chase after them too far!"
James lowered his voice and shouted urgently. He gripped Winchester tightly, his eyes fixed on Tom's disappearing figure in the darkness. The cunning wolf pack, who knows if there was an ambush on the way.
"James, what do we do now?" Margaret's voice was strained; this was the first time they had been attacked by wolves at night since settling down.
"Get inside!" James ordered decisively. "Simone, protect them! Jonah, patrol with me!"
Jonah glanced at his limping leg and nodded emphatically: "Let's go!"
In the depths of the grassland late at night, sporadic gunshots rang out.
boom! boom! boom!
Every gunshot meant the fall of a wolf's carcass.
With his experience and superior vision, Tom was able to quickly locate the fleeing wolf.
But the night was deep, and they were ultimately unable to completely wipe them out.
Whenever a target was spotted, Tom deliberately gave the opportunity to Ennis.
Ennis understood immediately, and the remaining wolves almost all fell to his gun.
"What do we do with these wolf carcasses?" Zack asked, pointing to the wolf carcasses lying haphazardly on the ground.
Tom shivered; the October night in Montana was bitterly cold.
"It's freezing! Aren't you cold? Let's go back to the ranch!" He pulled on the reins and turned the farm first.
Wolf meat is tough and gamey, and as for hides, Tom's family has plenty of bison hides in stock.
Soon, the tranquility of the pasture was broken by the rapid sound of horses' hooves.
"Is everything resolved?" James asked as he approached.
Tom dismounted and shook his head: "No, those beasts were too cunning; they scattered and escaped. It wasn't safe at night, so we retreated."
James nodded. Tom did the right thing.
In the dead of night in the grassland valley, who knows what dangers lurk!
"Go back and rest!"
Tom didn't answer, instead turning his gaze to Zack and Cooper: "Let's go, patrol around the ranch!"
The two nodded without objection and followed.
Tom nimbly mounted his horse, nodded to James, and rode away with the two of them.
By the flickering light of the torches, they finally found the gap through which the wolves had sneaked in.
"The stakes are old and rotten!" Zack kicked the decaying stakes.
The pasture's wooden fence, worn down by years of wind and rain, was finally breached by the wolves after several attempts to tear it open!
"It's time to replace the fence," Cooper sighed.
Tom looked around the fence, silently calculating the cost of replacing it, and felt a pang of regret.
After all, they'll be leaving next spring!
"Tomorrow, fix it first!" he said in a deep voice.
The three carefully searched the ranch but found nothing else. Tom then led Zack and Cooper back to rest.
He was also thinking about something else: it seemed he would have to arrange patrols for the night.
The next morning, Tom was awakened by the noise outside.
Just as he was about to get up, little John's little legs pressed down on him, his little hands tightly gripping his clothes, and his little head resting on his shoulder.
Tom could only carefully move the little guy aside, tuck him in, and tiptoe out of the tent.
He ran right into his mother, Margaret.
"What's going on outside?" Tom asked sleepily as he hurriedly put on his coat.
Margaret peeked into the tent and saw little John fast asleep. She whispered, "The firewood deliverymen are here."
Upon hearing that it was Uncle Sam, Tom immediately had an idea.
He strode out and, sure enough, saw Uncle Sam talking to James.
"I heard that last night... you were attacked by a pack of wolves?" Uncle Sam asked curiously.
Tom understood: It seems Uncle Sam couldn't get any information out of anyone!
"You saw it too!" Tom kicked at the congealed dark red bloodstains on the ground with his toe.
James has presumably disposed of the wolf carcass.
"They must have broken through the fence to sneak in!" Hill interjected in a muffled voice.
Tom nodded in agreement: "Hill's right! The ranch fence is so old; those animals have gnawed the wooden stakes until they're brittle!"
"We need to fix it quickly! The wolves are even more ferocious in winter!" Hill said urgently.
Tom knew that with food scarce in the dead of winter, hungry wolves would surely break into the pasture and prey on the livestock!
He looked at Hill: "Hill, you've been on the ranch for a long time, you know exactly what's wrong with it. Why don't you... help us fix the fence?" Tom tentatively extended an invitation.
Unexpectedly, Hill scratched the back of his head and muttered, "I'd like to, but you'll have to ask Sam!"
These words were like a thorn, making Tom's heart skip a beat.
Why does it sound so awkward?
He couldn't quite figure out that strange feeling, but he had already secretly made a mental note of it.
Tom turned his gaze to Uncle Sam.
Uncle Sam put on his usual smile: "If you think Hill is good enough, then take him!"
"We have nothing to do in the winter, so there's no need to hire anyone else," Tom said clearly.
Uncle Sam rubbed his hands together, looking troubled. "If Hill goes to help you tidy up the ranch, won't I be short-handed here?"
Tom understood: "Then I'll give you another person?"
Uncle Sam shook his head vigorously: "No, no, Hill knows all the work here!"
Tom frowned slightly.
Just then, Hill suddenly spoke, a bombshell:
"I gave my house to my nephew to live in! We don't have enough firewood in the warehouse for winter, so I have to move to the ranch!"
These words struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, leaving the people present looking at each other in bewilderment, and for a moment no one could respond.