WOLF.] 



FOR MOUNTAIN, FIELD, AND FAIi.M. 



[tue wolf. 



fort, niul was wouiidfcl by a inuakpt-ball and 

 driven oil", ri-turiuHl aflfi- it bcoaine ihirk, wliilat 

 the blood was atill llowiiig from its wound, and 

 carried ofl' a doj; from nniongst lifty others, 

 that howk>d piteoualy, but liad not courage to 

 unite in an attack on their enemy." 



The American wolf is extremely cunnin-;, 

 and. in attacking moose, or Wapiti deer, ani- 

 mals which exceed it in speed, it has recourse 

 to a 8iii':;ular stratagem. Several combine, 

 and arranij;e themselves in the form of a semi- 

 circle, and thus advance upon their prey, so as 

 either to hem it in or drive it over a precipice. 

 Captain Franklin often found the remains of 

 deer which had been thus dashed down steep 

 cliffs and devoured ; and he states that this is 

 a frequent expedient when the plains are 

 bounded by precipitous cliffs. "Whilst the 

 deer are quietly grazing, the wolves assemble 

 in great numbers, and, forming a crescent, 

 creep slowly towards the herd, so as not to 

 alarm them much at first ; but when they per- 

 ceive that they have fairly hemmed in the un- 

 suspecting creatures, and cut oiF their retreat 

 across the plain, they move more quickly, and 

 with hideous yells terrify their prey, and urge 

 them to flight by the only open way, which is 

 towards the precipice, appearing to know that 

 when the herd is once at full speed, it is easily 

 driven over the cliff, the rearmost urging on 

 those that are before. The wolves then de- 

 scend at leisure, and feed on the mangled car- 

 cases." 



On one occasion a troop of wolves endea- 

 voured to put the same stratagem into prac- 

 tice against Dr. Kichardson. Having the first 

 watch, he " had gone to the summit of a hill, 

 and remained seated, contemplating the river 

 that washed the precipice under his feet, long 

 after dusk had hid distant objects from his 

 view. His thoughts were, perhaps, far distant 

 from the surrounding scenery, when he was 

 roused by an indistinct noise behind him ; and, 

 on looking round, perceived that nine white 

 wolves had ranged themselves in form of a 

 crescent, and were advancing apparently with 

 the intention of driving him into the river. 

 On his rising up they halted ; and when he 

 advanced, they made way for his passage down 

 to the tents." This may be taken as an indi- 

 cation of that kind of instinctive intelligence 

 which all wild animals, more or less, possess 

 3b 



when actuated to presiivn ihemselvea from 

 danger, or to liunt for their prey. In the wolf, 

 it is, perhap.^, somewhat remarkable. 



Very dillerent from the above rcapectful 

 conduct wliich these wolves showed to Dr. 

 Richardson, was that which a pack of them 

 ilisplayed to a poor Scandinavian soldier. 



Wliilst this unfortunate man was crossing a 

 largo lake, called Stor-sjon, it then being the 

 depth of winter, he was attacked by a drove 

 of wolves. He was armed only with a sword; 

 but with this weapon he defended himself so 

 gallantly, that he not only killed or wounded 

 several of his assailants, but ho succeeded in 

 driving off the remainder. 



Some sliort time afterwards, however, tho 

 same drove of wolves again beset him. He 

 was now unable to extricate himself from hfe 

 perilous situation in the same manner as 

 before; for, when he laid his hand upon his 

 sabre, and attempted to draw it, he found it 

 firmly frozen into the scabbard. This was in 

 consequence of his having neglected to wipe 

 the blood from the blade after the desperate 

 conflict in which he had been engaged. It is 

 almost needless to add, that as he was then 

 defenceless, tlio ferocious beasts quickly killed 

 and devoured him. 



In the dreary realms that advance into the 

 Polar Sea — 



" Where the wolf and Arctic fox 

 Prowl amidst the lonely rocks" — 



Captain Franklin and his companions, during 

 their arduous journeys, were often obliged to 

 dispute their scanty food with the lean wolves, 

 that would scarcely retreat. On one occasion, 

 when they had captured a moose deer, and 

 had buried a part of the body, the wolves ab- 

 solutely dug it out from their very feet, and 

 devoured it while the weary men were sleep- 

 ing. On another occasion, when the travellers 

 had killed a deer, they saw, by the flashes of 

 the Aurora borealis, eight wolves, waiting 

 round for their share of the prey. Sometimes, 

 however, the wolves were their caterers, and 

 helped them to a welcome meal. When a 

 group of wolves and a flight of crows were 

 discovered, the travellers knew there was a 

 carcass to be divided, and they sometimes suc- 

 ceeded in obtaining a share of the prey, if it 

 had been recently slaughtered. 



Of the American wolves, we may notice tho 



3G9 



