One evening Laura grew restless. She did not want to dance to Pa's fiddle but she felt she must move quickly. "Carrie, let's go out and glide on the ice," Laura said. With Ma and Pa's permission they were allowed to go out into the dark, but only for a while per Ma's request. They each dressed warmly and out they raced down the snowy path to the lake. "We mustn't go near the watering hole," Laura warned.
The air was still and Carrie grew afraid. "Let's slide, come on run." Laura encouraged her sister. With hands clasped together they ran a little way, then with the right foot they slid on the smooth ice following the moon path. If one slipped the other was there to hold her up. They soon found themselves at the far shore. Against the moonlight stood a great wolf.
"Let's go back," Laura said quickly. They ran and slid and ran again as fast as they could, Carrie keeping up. There was no sound of running behind them when they at last reached the path by the water hole. Neither looked behind them or stopped running until they reached the back door of the lean-to. Bursting inside they slammed it shut, causing Pa to spring to his feet.
"What is it?" he asked.
"It was a wolf, Pa." Laura gulped.
Pa wanted to know where the wolf was. He was upset with himself. "It was careless of me. I thought those wolves would be long gone by now. I will hunt them tomorrow"
Mary sat still, her face white. "Suppose he had caught you?" she whispered.
But nothing had happened to them. Pa," Laura said in a low voice, "I hope you don't find the wolf."
"Why ever not?" Ma wondered.
"Because he didn't chase us Pa and he could have caught us."
As the girls were getting ready for bed, a long, wild wolf howl rose and faded away on the stillness. Another answered it and then there was silence again.
Synopsis provided by Lorrie
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