CHAPTER XVIII. 



<*ray Mountain-wolves The Traps again Caught A Trap missing On 

 a Wolf-trail Sagacious rather A Jump for Life Fagged-out An 

 unearthly Scene A Night's Rest Nip and Tug take the Track The 

 Wolf before us The Fight A Pause Death of the Wolf Joe and 

 the Ashlata a happy Return. 



ONE night, at about ten o'clock, our stock astonished us 

 by trotting into camp and taking up a position close to 

 the fire, remaining there all night. In the morning we 

 discovered the reason why they had done so. On making 

 the round of the uniformly empty rabbit-traps, the tracks 

 in the snow of three gray mountain-wolves showed that 

 evil-disposed neighbours had been prowling around ; no 

 doubt the mules had smelt them, and sought the camp fire 

 for safety. 



Knowing what large, well-furred pelts these animals 

 had, and having long wished for some to make a carriage- 

 robe with, I determined to set as many of the beaver- 

 traps for them as I could find good places for, it being 

 necessary to trust to concealing the traps in the "runs" 

 made by the different wild animals through the thickets 

 of jungle, instead of using bait ; for it was quite possible 



