312 WOLVES. 



howlings, would actually prevent my going to the 

 orchard, ay, even at the period when apples were 

 ripe, for fear a representative of these dreaded races 

 had made his escape from a menagerie, and taken 

 up his residence near our home. Yet here I am a hun- 

 dred yards from my camp fire, where I have gone, the 

 better to listen to the deep, yet shrill and quivering 

 voice of a wolf, which has either been disappointed of 

 his supper or wishes to express his disgust at the 

 moon shining so brightly, so as to reveal his skulking 

 actions to less bloodthirsty but more harmless 

 denizens of our planet. To-night I am partial to 

 wolves, for I am out of temper, especially grey 

 ones, for they are the worst ; for they are out-and-out 

 scoundrels without guile, decided characters, brutes 

 possessed of the inclination to do evil, and no re- 

 pugnance or make-believe qualms of conscience in 

 doing so. In fact they are uncompromising villains, 

 going about with a placard, not on paste-board, but 

 tout ensemble, to warn all that their society or 

 neighbourhood is dangerous. If honesty is but 

 policy, and consequently to be followed, the honesty 

 of this animal's character deserves commendation; 

 for it never assumes disguises by which to gain the 

 confidence of the lamb or the fawn, but from earliest 

 days declares itself their foe, and if such a warning 

 does not fore-arm them, why, let them take the 

 consequence of their inattention. Better, far better, 

 is the character of the wolf than that of many men, 

 who under the mask of friendship will ruin the too 



