174 EXTINCT BRITISH ANIMALS. 



riated by the expiring yelps of her cubs, rushed at 

 the entrance, regardless of the younger Chisholm, 

 who made a stroke at her with his spear, but such 

 was her velocity, that he missed her as she darted 

 past, and broke the point of his weapon. His 

 brother, however, met the animal as she entered, and 

 being armed with the left-handed Idmhainn chruaidh, 

 or steel gauntlet, much used by the Highlanders and 

 Irish, as the Wolf rushed open-mouthed upon him, 

 he thrust the iron fist into her jaws, and stabbed 

 her in the breast with his dirk, while his brother, 

 striking at her flank with the broken spear, after 

 a desperate struggle she was drawn out dead. 



The spear and the left-handed gauntlet referred to 

 in this tradition are arms mentioned, by Spencer, 

 Leslie, and other authorities, as characteristic of the 

 Highlanders and Irish in the days of Queen Mary.* 



It is true they retained the use of such weapons 

 as late as their muster called the " Highland Host " 

 in i6/8.t But no such remains appeared at Cillie- 

 chranchie, and it is therefore probable that the story 

 has descended from the time of Charles II. 



Another story is on record of a Wolf killed by a 

 woman of Cre-lebhan, near Strui, on the north side of 

 Strath Glass. She had gone to Strui a little before 

 Christmas to borrow a girdle (a thick circular plate 

 of iron, with an iron loop handle at one side for lift- 

 ing, and used for baking bread). Having procured it, 



* See Spencer's " Views of Ireland;" Derrick's " Image of Ireland ;" 

 Leslie, " De Origine, Moribus et Rebus Scotorum ;" and a print in the 

 Douce Collection, Bodl. Lib. G-. vi. 47. 



f Wodrow MS. Bibl. Facult. Jurid., xcix. No. 29. 



