202 HUNTING THE GRISLY. 



swift hounds arrived on the scene. For a 

 moment the wolf and all four dogs galloped 

 along in a bunch ; then one of the greyhounds, 

 watching his chance, pinned the beast cleverly 

 by the hock and threw him completely over. 

 The others jumped on it in an instant ; but 

 rising by main strength the wolf shook himself 

 free, catching one dog by the ear and tearing 

 it half off. Then he sat down on his haunches 

 and the greyhounds ranged themselves around 

 him some twenty yards off, forming a ring 

 which forbade his retreat, though they them- 

 selves did not dare touch him. However 

 the end was at hand. In another moment 

 Old Abe and General Grant came running up 

 at headlong speed and smashed into the wolf 

 like a couple of battering-rams. He rose on 

 his hind-legs like a wrestler as they came at 

 him, the greyhounds also rising and bouncing 

 up and down like rubber balls. I could just 

 see the wolf and the first big dog locked to- 

 gether, as the second one made good his 

 throat-hold. In another moment over all three 

 tumbled, while the greyhounds and one or 

 two of the track-hounds jumped in to take 

 part in the killing. The big dogs more than 

 occupied the wolf's attention and took all the 

 punishing, while in a trice one of the grey- 

 hounds, having seized him by the hind-leg, 

 stretched him out, and the others were biting 

 his undefended belly. The snarling and yel- 

 ling of the worry made a noise so fiendish 

 that it was fairly bloodcurdling ; then it grad- 

 ually died down, and the second wolf lay limp 



