NORTHERN OCEAN 347 



claim to it, but suffered himself to be shot standing on the 

 deer. I once saw a similar instance of a lynx, or wild cat, 

 which also suffered itself to be killed, before it would 

 relinquish the prize. The Wolverenes have also frequently 

 been seen to take a deer from a wolf before the latter had 

 time to begin his repast after killing it. Indeed their amaz- 

 ing strength, and the length and sharpness of their claws, 

 render them capable of making a strong resistance against 

 [373] ^ny other animal in those parts, the Bear not excepted. 

 As a proof of their amazing strength, there was one at Churchill 

 some years since, that overset the greatest part of a large pile 

 of wood, (containing a whole Winter's firing, that measured 

 upwards of seventy yards round,) to get at some provisions 

 that had been hid there by the Company's servants, when 

 going to the Factory to spend the Christmas holidays. The 

 fact was, this animal had been lurking about in the neighbour- 

 hood of their tent (which was about eight miles from the 

 Factory) for some weeks, and had committed many depreda- 

 tions on the game caught in their traps and snares, as well 

 as eaten many foxes that were killed by guns set for that 

 purpose : but the Wolverene was too cunning to take either 

 trap or gun himself. The people knowing the mischievous 

 disposition of those animals, took (as they thought) the most 

 effectual method to secure the remains of their provisions, 

 which they did not chuse to carry home, and accordingly 

 tied it up in bundles and placed it on the top of the wood- 

 pile, (about two miles from their tent,) little thinking the 

 Wolverene would find it out ; but to their great surprise, 

 when they returned to their tent after the holidays, they 

 found the pile of wood in the state already mentioned, 

 though some of the trees that composed it were as much 

 as two men could carry. The only reason the people could 

 give for the animal doing so much mischief was, that in his 

 attempting to carry off the booty, some of the small parcels 

 of provisions had fallen down into the heart of the pile, 



