3i6 Wild Beasts 



the accidental presence of several separate bands in the 

 same vicinity who are attracted by a common object, or 

 follow each other's motions like carrion birds. This is 

 what happens in the neighborhood of remote and isolated 

 settlements in Northern Europe, when human beings are 

 the game they pursue. Within Russian forests and those 

 which lie near lonely villages in Sweden, Norway, and 

 Swedish-Lapland, small packs form as darkness veils the 

 weird, melancholy, desolate beauty of winter landscapes. 

 They meet irregularly, with the vague, fierce feelings of 

 an excited mob. The band is brought together by bowl- 

 ings, and it sweeps outward into the open on an indefinite 

 quest. Woe betide the wolf who gives out during this 

 wild gallop, or slips his shoulder on the frozen crust. 

 Desperation may enable him to conceal the accident for a 

 few strides, but discovery is certain, and he is instantly 

 torn to pieces and devoured. If a fresh trail be found, the 

 pack follows it. Human voices or the sound of sleigh-bells 

 brings down the wolves like a storm-driven cloud. Men 

 often go out with drags fastened to sledges, and as 

 their purpose is simply to kill, and they are prepared, and 

 do not venture too far from the villages, these hunters gen- 

 erally succeed in their undertaking. But not always ; 

 many a sleighing party of this kind has not returned, 

 neither men nor horses. Many a belated wayfarer and 

 party of travellers have never reached their journey's end. 

 A fleet horse will for a time outrun wolves, even when by 

 stealthy approaches they have almost closed around him, 

 and this the author knows from experience ; but it will 

 not answer to go far, for in that case the fugitive will cer- 

 tainly be caught. 



