42 THE WOLF. 



disposition, fierce habits, he is hateful while living, and 

 useless when dead." 



The plate annexed to this article, illustrates one of those 

 fearful scenes of ferocity and destruction in which the 

 Wolf has borne his characteristic part. The story, as we 

 have heard related, runs as follows : The wife of a 

 pioneer in one of our northern settlements, started in a 

 sleigh with her two children, on the morning of a clear 

 wintry day, to visit the neighboring town. Expecting to 

 reach home before nightfall, and having transacted the 

 business which called her thither, she left the village in the 

 afternoon, but was overtaken by a storm, and missed her 

 way. She discovered her error when it was too late to 

 retrace her progress, and being well acquainted with the 

 roads, she determined to proceed in a direction different 

 from the intended one, and which would enable her to 

 reach her house about midnight. The way was perilous, 

 and the storm increasing, but the stout heart of the pioneer 

 woman was not to be daunted by any but the most fearful 

 dangers ; besides, her dearly loved offspring were with 

 her, and she nerved herself for their protection. Gathering 

 the reins with a firm hand, she put her horse to the top of 

 his speed, and drove fearlessly onward. But a danger 

 she had not contemplated, soon met her affrighted view. 

 The wolves, famished by a severe winter, were upon her 

 track, and their dreadful howl, like the moan of a gathering 

 tempest, was heard in the distance on every side. They 

 rapidly approached her ; the horse plunged forward with 

 almost supernatural velocity, but the wolves were still more 

 fleet than he. At length they surrounded her, with glaring 

 eyes, and tongues protruding, eager for their prey, and the 

 appalled and wretched woman, in the instinct of self-pre- 

 servation, flung her eldest child from the sleigh, a sacrifice 

 to the blood-thirsty pack that pursued her. For a few mo- 

 ments the chase was suspended ; but the meal thus offered 



