174 EXTINCT BRITISH ANIMALS. 
riated by the expiring yelps of her cubs, rushed at 
the entrance, regardless of the younger Chisholm, 
who made a stroke at her with his spear, but such 
was her velocity, that he missed her as she darted 
past, and broke the point of his weapon. His 
brother, however, met the animal as she entered, and 
being armed with the left-handed /amhainn chruaidh, 
or steel gauntlet, much used by the Highlanders and 
Irish, as the Wolf rushed open-mouthed upon him, 
he thrust the iron fist into her jaws, and stabbed 
her in the breast with his dirk, while his brother, 
striking at her flank with the broken spear, after 
a desperate struggle she was drawn out dead. 
The spear and the left-handed gauntlet referred to 
in this tradition are arms mentioned by Spencer, 
Leslie, and other authorities, as characteristic of the 
Highlanders and Ivish in the days of Queen Mary.* 
It is true they retained the use of such weapons 
as late as their muster called the “ Highland Host ” 
in 1678.t But no such remains appeared at Cillie- 
chranchie, and it is therefore probable that the story 
has descended from the time of Charles IT. 
Another story is on record of a Wolf killed by a 
woman of Cre-lebhan, near Strui, on the north side of 
Strath Glass. She had gone to Strui a little before 
Christmas to borrow a girdle (a thick circular plate 
of iron, with an iron loop handle at one side for lift- 
ing, and used for baking bread). Having procured it, 
* See Spencer’s “ Views of Ireland ;” Derrick’s “ Image of Ireland ;” 
Leslie, “ De Origine, Moribus et Rebus Scotorum ;” and a print in the 
Douce Collection, Bodl. Lib. G. vi. 47. 
+ Wodrow MS. Bibl. Facult. Jurid., xcix. No. 29. 
