The Timber-wolf 



rough or smooth haired, but many of 

 them were big mongrels, and part some 

 other breed, such as bull-dog, mastiff, 

 Newfoundland, blood-hound, or collie. 



The only two necessary requisites were 

 that the dogs should run fast and fight 

 gamely ; and in consequence they formed 

 as wicked, hard-biting a crew as ever ran 

 down and throttled a wolf. They were 

 usually taken out ten at a time, and by 

 their aid Massingale killed two hundred 

 wolves in the course of the year. 



Of course there was no pretence of 

 giving the game fair play. The wolves 

 were killed as vermin, not for sport. The 

 greatest havoc was in the spring-time, 

 when the she -wolves were followed to 

 their dens, which were sometimes holes > 

 in the earth and sometimes natural caves. 

 There were from three to nine whelps in 

 each litter. Some of the hounds were, 

 very fast, and they could usually over- 

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