MARCH 47 



was employed to examine the recesses of the glen. 

 He brought a couple of boys with him, his own son and 

 a herd-lad. Among the rocks of Glen Sletdale, between 

 Creag-a'-bhocain and Creag-a'-bhodaich, he found a 

 narrow cleft, evidently in recent use by some wild 

 animal as its den. After throwing in stones and taking 

 other means to rouse any creature that might be within, 

 Poison caused the boys to creep into the cave, the 

 opening being too narrow to admit himself. Presently 

 the lads cried out that there was a litter of five or six 

 whelps within, and Poison shouted to them orders to 

 kill them and to come out quickly. At that moment 

 a great wolf, dam of the brood, dashed past Poison, 

 and was half into the cave before he managed to catch 

 hold of her by the tail, which, says the tradition, he 

 wound round his left arm. His gun was out of reach, 

 for he had propped it against a rock before helping the 

 boys to enter the den. It taxed all his strength to 

 hold the brute, which strove furiously, but mutely ; for, 

 like the fox, but unlike the dog, the wolf utters no cry 

 in fighting for its life. The entrance to the den being 

 blocked in this way, the interior was quite dark, and a 

 small voice was heard crying in Gaelic ' Father, what 

 is keeping the light from us ? ' 'If the tail breaks,' 

 replied the hunter, 'you will soon know that.' Poison 

 managed to draw his knife, with which he stabbed the 

 wolf repeatedly as deeply as he could, but was unable 

 to reach any vital part. She tried to turn upon him, 

 but the hole was too narrow ; until, at last, exhausted 

 by loss of blood, she allowed herself to be dragged out 

 by the tail, when Poison finished her off, and with her 



