^pTAD I encountered the two gray wolves dur- 

 ^y ing my first unarmed camping-trip into the 

 wilds, the experience would hardly have sug- 

 gested to me that going without firearms is the 

 best way to enjoy wild nature. But I had made 

 many unarmed excursions beyond the trail be- 

 fore I had that adventure, and the habit of going 

 without a gun was so firmly fixed and so satis- 

 factory that even a perilous wolf encounter did 

 not arouse any desire for firearms. The habit 

 continued, and to-day the only way I can enjoy 

 the wilds is to leave guns behind. 



On that autumn afternoon I was walking along 

 slowly, reflectively, in a deep forest. Not a breath 

 of air moved, and even the aspen's golden leaves 

 stood still in the sunlight. All was calm and 

 peaceful around and within me, when I came to 

 a little sunny frost-tanned grass-plot surrounded 



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