126 PORTENTOUS BIRTH. 



scramble among animals of prey for the choice intestines 

 of a body. Bold, not with brandy, but whiskey (for he 

 at once and on the moment emptied his flask), and des 

 perate with distress, he resolved on action, and abided 

 time ; and here again, in this his dreadful hour of need, 

 his knowledge of sport and the habits of wolves did not 

 desert him. He recollected that the easiest portion of 

 a bison's frame, by which for a wolf to gain a hold of the 

 intestines, was from beneath the tail ; so he awaited the 

 result, and kept his hands in readiness. All at once, 

 with eagerness only parallel to his hunger, an immense 

 old master wolf rent the flanks asunder sufficiently to 

 thrust his head and shoulders into the bison, in search 

 of, to him, a delicious reward. The wolf's horror, how 

 ever, at once may be conceived when my friend as sud 

 denly seized him on either cheek, and clung to the head 

 of his deliverer for dear life. So surprised at this un 

 wonted reception was the beast, that he yelled with ter 

 ror, while, with all the strength of his back and 

 haunches, aided by his fore feet, he contrived to with 

 draw, pulling the human appendage along with him. The 

 result of the yells of the master wolf, as well as his great 

 strength, were alike favourable to my friend ; the former 

 so frightened the rest of the wolves that they fled away, 

 and the latter brought my friend forth from his " lodging 

 on the cold ground, " and rendered him up to the grey 

 dawn of the coming morn. And what became of the 

 delivering wolf? " I let him go, sir. Yes, sir, as soon 

 as he pulled me out of the carcass of the buffalo, and he 

 fled after his scared companions. Yes, sir, that's a 

 fact ! " I recount this " tale as it was told to me ; " 

 and, in justice to my friend, I must say that I fully 

 believe that he has told the story himself so often that 



