THE GRAY WOLF. 151 



annual, evidently about four years old, and that she was in 

 excellent condition for running, the suckling of the young- 

 sters having relieved her of all unnecessary flesh, without 

 having weakened her too much. 



My companion having taken her skin and tied it on his 

 saddle behind him, we called at a rancher's cabin to get 

 two sacks in which to bring home the cubs, and, having pro- 

 cured these, we returned to the hill where the youngsters 

 were concealed. On the way back he told me that wolves 

 cubbed in May, and had from four to nine in a litter. The 

 whole care of rearing them depended on the mother ; and 

 she was a good type of a faithful guardian and provider, 

 and had strong maternal affection as much, if not more, 

 than the dog. 



When hunted or startled by foes, she does not desert her 

 young until the last moment, and she leaves them then ap- 

 parently more for the purpose of protecting them than of 

 saving her own life. She has the greatest fear of man, and 

 he is probably the only enemy she will not face in defence 

 of her young ; yet, if they are able to run at all, she de- 

 pends more on flight than fight for saving them. She will 

 not, in fact, engage in combat if she can avoid it, unless it 

 is with some animal she thinks she can overpower. She 

 hunts much during the maternal period, and while her cubs 

 are in the nest keeps them well supplied with edibles. The 

 young join the pack as soon as they are able to run about 

 well, and at the end of six months take part in the hunts 

 and forays organized by their elders, and often acquit them- 

 selves creditably, especially in stealing from camps, and in 

 coursing hares and ground-squirrels. At the end of twelve 

 months they are trained hunters, and able to hold their 

 own in cunning with any fox that ever lived. He also 

 said that wolves were attacked by hydrophobia sometimes, 

 and on such occasions they rushed madly about, biting and 

 snapping at everything. They lose all fear of man then, 

 and boldly enter an Indian encampment and fly at any 

 person they meet. Any one bitten by them is said to be 

 almost sure to die of hydrophobia; so his friends make 



