58 THE MASTER OF GAME 



the bitch to nourish the whelps but when a wolf 

 and a bitch are in fellowship and there are no 

 wolves in that country by very natural smelling he 

 knoweth well that the whelps are his and there- 

 fore he helpeth to nourish them but not well. At 

 the time that she hath whelps the wolf is fattest 

 in all the year, for he eateth and taketh all that 

 the bitch and whelps should eat. The bitch 

 beareth her whelps nine weeks and sometimes 

 three or four days more. Once in the year they 

 are in their love and are jolly. Some men say 

 that the bitches bear no whelps while their 

 mother liveth, but thereof I make no affirmation. 

 The bitches of them have their whelps as other 

 tame bitches, sometimes more, sometimes less. 

 They have great strength especially before (fore- 

 quarters), and evil ^ they be and strong, for some- 

 times a wolf will slay a cow or a mare and he 

 hath great strength in his mouth. Sometime he 

 will bear in his mouth a goat or a sheep or a 

 young hog and not touch the ground (with it), 

 and shall run so fast with it that unless mastiffs 

 or men on horseback happen to run before him 

 neither the shepherds nor no other man on foot 

 will ever overtake him. They live on all manner 

 of flesh and on all carrion and all kinds of vermin. 

 And they live not long for they live not more 

 than thirteen or fourteen years. Their biting is 

 ^ G. de F., p. 66, has "evil biting." 



