THE HORSE AND HIS EIDER. 127 



and flings it to the mares, who trample upon it till it 

 becomes hard to say what kind of animal the skin 

 belonged to. If the stallion, however, fail to strike a 

 home blow at the first onset, he is likely to fight a 

 losing battle, for eight or ten hungry wolves fasten on 

 his throat, and never quit him till they have torn him 

 to the ground : and if the horse be prompt and skilful 

 in attack, the wolf is not deficient in sagacity, but 

 watches for every little advantage, and is quick to 

 avail himself of it ; but let him not hope, even if he 

 succeed in killing a horse, that he will be allowed 

 leisure to pick the bones : the taboon never fails to 

 take ample vengeance, and the battle almost invariably 

 terminates in the complete discomfiture of the wolves, 

 though not, perhaps, till more than one stallion has 

 had a leg permanently disabled, or has had his side 

 marked for life with the impress of his enemy's teeth. 

 These grand battles happen but seldom, and when 

 they do occur, it is probably always against the wolf's 

 wish. His system of warfare is a predatory one, and 

 his policy is rather to surprise outposts, than to 

 meditate a general attack. He trusts more to his 

 cunning than his strength. He will creep cautiously 

 through the grass, taking special care to keep to 

 leeward of the taboon, and will remain concealed in 

 ambush, till he perceive a mare and her foal grazing 



