vin RIDING A WOLF DOWN 207 



with his crest waving as he tore along. This decided 

 me to clap into him, and the real chase began. The 

 ground was most favourable for the horse, and the little 

 fellow flew after the hairy, furious-looking beast, as if 

 he intended to kill him on his own account ; so keen 

 was he that he very nearly did for us. The wolf, 

 finding that he rather lost than gained, turned sharp 

 round to the left when nearly under the horse's feet, 

 and as I was in the middle of difficulties with the gun 

 at this moment, I could not check him from shooting 

 away past the wolf and losing a lot of ground. In my 

 exertions the gun went off, luckily in the air, which did 

 not help matters. However, by nearly throwing him 

 on his back, I managed to stop and turn my impetuous 

 little steed, and clapping spurs into him, was soon off 

 over the ridge the wolf had disappeared behind. Going 

 for bare life, venire a terre, and trying to load the 

 empty barrel, catch sight of the wolf, and choose the 

 best ground all at once. Luckily, as I crossed the first 

 ridge, I saw the wolf about 100 yards or more ahead 

 disappear over another, and on arriving at the latter 

 spot I saw his broad tracks down a wady to the left. 

 Diving down the narrow little wady 1000 miles an 

 hour, catch sight of the wolf going hard and strong on 

 the almost level expanse of desert below, and making 

 without doubt for the far more broken ground which 

 lay beyond. I felt it was now neck or nothing ; if 

 once he gained his point I was beaten ; while, on the 

 other hand, I felt that if I could keep him in this 

 grand galloping ground he was crossing my chance was 

 a good one. I called vigorously on the little game 

 horse, and stuck the spurs into him in earnest. We 

 literally flew over the sandy waste, hollows and ridges, 

 rocks and sand-drifts flew beneath us. At last the 

 pace began to tell on the wolf; I could see he was 



