92 WOLF-HUNTING. 



blood and the prospect of a day's sport enabled me to " grin and 

 bear it" on this occasion. Nevertheless, bad as the start was, 

 my own personal discomfort distressed me far less than the scene 

 I witnessed inside the stable. Within sight and within a few 

 yards of the horses a young wolf, three-parts grown, was chained 

 to the opposite manger : a strong iron muzzle secured his jaws 

 together, and his wild, wicked eyes told but too plainly the 

 necessity for such a measure. Every horse in the stable was 

 sweating with terror not one, as I afterwards found, had dared 

 to lie down : my own brave little cob was trembling like a brook- 

 reed ; not a grain of his corn had he touched, nor a mouthful of 

 hay. There the wild brute, I was told, had been chained for a 

 month, and was getting every day more accustomed to horses and 

 less violent in his struggles for liberty. The latter I could well 

 believe, as, judging from his lanky, famished look, he was all but 

 starved to death ; and as to his becoming familiar with horses, 

 it is quite certain they would never become reconciled to his 

 company. 



The "sacristies" of my friends whose horses had been 

 quartered in that stable were of little avail: the mischief had 

 been done j and we mounted, each of us, our trembling steeds 

 unfed and half-jaded before the work of the day had begun. 

 The light-heartedness of my companions, however, on our way 

 to cover soon made us forget this annoyance ; although, from 

 the rocky and roadless mountain ridge over which we passed 

 between Gourin and Laz, freshness and the full possession of 

 his muscular power' were very needful to a horse in his transit 

 over this broken ground ; and great care was required by the 

 rider to avoid the grips and rock-holes that presented themselves 

 on every side. Still, we were all landed in safety, about eight 

 o'clock, at the cover-side ; so far well, but to have attempted 

 more with our already beaten horses would have been an act 

 of sheer brutality. A short consultation ensued ; and a 



