164 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



kept so close to my heels that I was obliged to hurry 

 on faster than I liked ; and consequently, on getting up 

 the side of the cutting, in order to peep over, the 

 donkey made a slight noise. To my disgust, I was 

 only just in time to see a wolf trotting off into the 

 wood. He looked remarkably hyaena-like, very shaggy 

 and yellow ; this was all I could see. For a moment 

 he stopped amongst some young trees stern on, and 

 squinted at me in a leery manner under the branches. 

 He was not more than 50 yards off, and I saw the 

 light glittering on his neck. There were so many 

 trees in the way that I hesitated firing, and he trotted 

 away towards the young fir-woods north of the hill. 

 I felt, however, pretty sure he would come back, so 

 comforted myself with hope. He had dragged the 

 hind quarters of the donkey down to the edge of the 

 wood, and had eaten very little. I think this was 

 without doubt the wolf that had visited the house 

 all three nights since we have been back, and that 

 he was on his return after last night's visit when 

 he found the bait. I think it also likely he was one 

 of the wolves I had tracked down the Scafa, and 

 that he followed the tracks of the mules and dogs 

 to the house the night after we arrived. From the 

 little he had eaten of the donkey I think he must 

 have returned by some out-of-the-way path and not 

 past the saddle (cart) ; if not, he must have passed it 

 before 4 A.M., and taken three or four hours to make 

 up his mind that all was safe. This is not probable. 



I found the men waiting for me at the cart saddle. 

 They had had a long run after a very fine fox, who 

 had gone to ground in the rocks at the foot of Toragio. 

 I forgot to mention an old raven that was assisting the 

 wolf at his repast. At 2 P.M. I was back at the post, 

 where I decapitated a high young Scotch fir, and made 



