196 NEIGHBOURS UNKNOWN 



The herd, though travelling fast, had not 

 gone far. On a sudden, as if at a pre- 

 monition of peril, the old bull halted with a 

 loud snort. Neither smell nor sound of his 

 enemies had reached him, but he took 

 alarm, and gave the signal to form phalanx 

 for defence, at the same time galloping 

 around the flank of the herd to close up and 

 strengthen the rear. The evolution was 

 prompt and swift. But before it was quite 

 accomplished, up from the white obscurity of 

 the storm, in silence, came the leaping wolves. 



Straight into the gap in the rear of the 

 herd they hurled themselves, slashing on 

 every side with the aim of spreading a panic. 

 A young bull, just in the act of whirling 

 furiously to confront the attack, was caught 

 full on the flank, and went down coughing, 

 his throat torn clean out. A young cow, with 

 one wolf snapping at her side, but failing to 

 gain a vital spot, and another on her back, 

 biting for her neck through the matted mane, 

 went mad with terror, and charged straight 

 in among the calves at the centre of the herd, 

 making a way for the whole pack. 



In a second several of the calves, bawling 

 frantically, were pulled down. The wolves, 

 mad with blood and their late triumph over 

 the man, were in a riot of slaughter. The 



