THE APPROACH OF WINTER 37 



with occupants, two foxes and a badger. All were caught 

 by the feet. One fox had bled to death ; but the other 

 two animals were alive and strong, and made desperate 

 attempts to escape, whining mournfully at their im- 

 pending fate when we approached. 



The position of the traps was altered every day ; 

 this being a necessity to counteract the cunning of the 

 animals, who scent danger with remarkable quickness 

 and intelligence. Now we could bait the traps with 

 fresh meat, and the effect was seen the following day by 

 the capture of half-a-dozen animals, three red foxes, a 

 mottled fox and a wolf, also another badger ; and a fourth 

 fox had escaped, leaving a severed fore-paw in the trap. 

 The flesh of the skinned carcasses is used to bait the traps, 

 but it is not so attractive as deer meat, which is always 

 used when procurable. 



To save time when examining the traps I and Sam 

 went different ways, each attending to half the traps. 

 The first that I came to contained a dead, and the second 

 a living, fox ; then I found the wolf. The cunning brute 

 was lying on its side quite motionless, and I supposed it 

 to be dead ; but when I was about to handle it it sprang 

 at my throat, uttering a savage growl. Fortunately it 

 was held firmly by the fore-paw, and it only succeeded in 

 reaching my leg, which was encased in a strong leather 

 legging, and further protected with the irons which I was 

 compelled to wear. The flesh was bruised and grazed, 

 but I was not actually bitten. The irons were bent, and 

 bore the mark of the brute's teeth, and the legging torn. 

 It is said that the wolf bites pieces out of the man or 

 beast which it seizes, and I know from experience that 

 they will rip a dog or other small animal to shreds in a 

 few seconds, so fierce and strong of jaw are they. 



I killed my savage foe with a blow from my toma- 

 hawk. It was the only wolf trapped on this occasion. 



The mottled fox alluded to above was what is called 

 " a cross fox " by the Hudson Company's people. These 



