206 WRANGLING WOLVES. 



sionally leaving it, but immediately returning to 

 inspect it again, and scratch a few more twigs and 

 grass over his treasure. At length, when he had 

 accomplished his task, he started, but as if unwilling 

 to abandon so precious a prize, he halted again when 

 he had gone about twenty-five yards, and then 

 hurried off at a rapid pace. As I expected, how- 

 ever, that his absence would not be long, I remained 

 in my concealment, waiting for his reappearance. 

 Ten minutes had scarcely passed when two wolves 

 rose from behind a rock, and with the impetuosity of 

 a brace of greyhounds rushed upon the buck. They 

 had been between me and the bear, and as I was 

 to the leeward of all, they had the advantage of 

 Bruin by being to windward of him. The bear's 

 conduct was on the whole rather unaccountable. 

 From his mariner I now feel certain that he imagined 

 he was being watched ; but if so, what induced him 

 to go off, except, possibly, to communicate to his 

 mate or cubs intelligence of the windfall he had dis- 

 covered. I am surprised that he did not take the buck 

 with him, for if he had not far to carry it, a bear's 

 strength would not be much taxed by the weight. 

 These wolves, although hunting together, did not 

 appear to be united by any tie of friendship, for they 

 snarled and snapped at each other with the most 

 vindictive animosity while standing over their prey. 



After a protracted scene of wrangling, the larger 

 wolf commenced operations on the deer's stomach, 

 the lesser on the neck ; and although there was suf- 



