24 WOLF-HUNTING. 



luckily, the little mare was safe as Notre Dame ; and I took care 

 to keep the lucifers going, flashing them in their faces, and 

 frightening the skulking brutes, ever as I did so, into the adjoin- 

 ing field. 



" For two long leagues," continued the doctor, " did \ve 

 travel on in this perilous fashion ; till at length I began to fear 

 the mare would drop from exhaustion. She had been going, 

 from the first, fetlock-deep in clay, and was now so terrified by 

 the wolves that any unusual impediment would, I felt sure, 

 bring her headlong to the ground. My lucifers, too, were 

 running short; and as I had a good half-league farther to ride, 

 I economised my stock by only flashing single matches, and 

 that, too, when more than one wolf traversed the bank in such 

 dangerous proximity. My Old hunting-whip now served me in 

 good stead : hitherto I had carried it between my thigh and 

 the saddle, but drawing it forth, I stood up in my stirrups, and 

 with all my force brought the heavy thong down over the head 

 and eyes of the leading wolf. The success of this manoeuvre 

 was instantaneous ; not another wolf dared show again till I 

 reached in safety the peasant's hut, into which I rode the little 

 mare with a thankful heart. No fox ever gained his earth more 

 opportunely, for another ten minutes must have been fatal at 

 least to the mare. 



" The cowardly brutes, however, though baffled, were not 

 beaten. There they still were, watching the hut and prowling 

 around it with dismal yells, denoting their disappointment. So 

 I deemed it prudent to carry a mass of burning embers just 

 outside the door and to feed that until daybreak; and this 

 alone, I am quite confident, kept them off the broom-roof and 

 saved my little mare from certain destruction." 



When the doctor had finished his story, I inquired how the 

 poor peasant had fared on his return from Carhaix, unarmed as 

 he was, and unfurnished probably even with a box of matches. 



