234 TJie Home of tlie Wolveyeiie and Beaver. 



the mouth of the hole was answered by a $:^row. 

 from within. The animal, although not ten feet 

 from the entrance, could not be easily reached with 

 a stick, on account of his having retreated behind 

 an angle in the chasm. As we felt no particular 

 disposition to imitate the exploits of Colonel 

 Putnam in his encounter with the wolf, we reluc- 

 tantly concluded to trudge homeward through the 

 snow, a distance of five miles, to obtain assistance. 

 On taking another survey of the place, however, 

 we conceived it possible to effect an opening on 

 one of its sides. This was after great labour 

 accomplished by prying away some heavy frag- 

 ments of the rock. The animal could now be 

 reached with a pole, and seemed very much irri- 

 tated, gro^^•ling and snapping at the stick, which he 

 once succeeded in tearing from our hand, all the 

 while emitting a strong and very offensive musky 

 smell. He was finally shot. What was our sur- 

 prise and pleasure on discovering that we had, not 

 a bear, but what was more valuable to us, a new 

 species of quadruped, as we believed it to be. It 

 was six months before we were enabled, by con- 

 sulting a copy of Bufifon, to discover our mistake, 

 and ascertain that our highly-prized specimen was 

 the glutton, of which we had read such marvellous 

 tales in the school-books." 



