56 WOLF-HUNTING. 



infinite regret ; but my memory often reproduces him before my 

 mind's eye, a fresh, earnest, and manly Breton peasant as that 

 country ever produced. 



About twenty brace of birds, red-leg and grey, six woodcocks, 

 and a hare or two, had fallen to our guns on both sides of the valley, 

 when an incident occurred that somewhat marred our sport, and 

 set St. Prix in a blaze for the rest of the day. Kergoorlas' 

 favourite pointer, in jumping off a bank, pitched exactly on the 

 bridge of a huge wolf-trap, which, instantly springing, caught him 

 with its iron jaws by both forelegs. They were broken on the 

 spot ; and a merciful shot from his master's gun, there being no 

 alternative, released the poor brute at once from further suffering. 

 We all grieved for the dog ; but St. Prix's trouble, as the Louve- 

 tier of that district, arose chiefly from the trap : not even Sir 

 Watkin, nor Russell, nor Meynell, of old, could have been more 

 jealous for the fair life of a fox than he was for that of a wolf; his 

 vexation, then, in discovering that foul play was practised in this, 

 his favourite hunting-ground, burst forth at intervals for the next 

 day or two, like the fiery eruptions of a disturbed volcano. Kledan, 

 who suddenly dropped over the fence and joined us at this junc- 

 ture, naturally aroused St. Prix's suspicion ; and bitter were the 

 invectives he levelled at the braconnieSs head. He, however, 

 stoutly denied all knowledge of the trap ; and, to show his 

 sincerity, at once volunteered to carry it and throw it into the 

 deepest pit of the river below; a proposal St. Prix derisively 

 scoffed at, saying to the braconnier, " You may do that if you 

 please ; but you'll fish it up again before the sun rises to-morrow 

 morning." 



" I never have trapped, and never tried to trap a wolf in my 

 life/' said Kledan, fiercely ; " but there's no knowing what I may 

 do for the future, when, on my oath, you refuse to believe my 

 word." 



St. Prix had fairly exasperated him, and, I believe, did him 



