272 THE FORESTS OF UPPER INDIA 



too busy to look up. Formidable-looking beasts, with 

 long gray hair and bushy tails and big, ugly heads and 

 teeth white and glistening, they tore frantically at the 

 bleeding carcase and snarled at one another. How I 

 longed for the rifle, but it did not come. The wind was 

 not unfavourable, and I crouched, breathlessly watching 

 and not moving my head ; but wolves' eyes are pretty 

 sharp, and one of them must have seen, or heard, or smelt 

 that danger was near ; and, leaving the dinner he was 

 enjoying, he began to slink off with the peculiar skulking 

 motion of the surly wolf, not going away straight, but 

 circling around to make observations, yet giving no 

 warning to the others. Soon another one disappeared, 

 seeming to vanish. The man with the rifle was coming 

 blundering along. Beckoning him to crouch, I at last 

 got the rifle, and again peeped over the ridge, rifle cocked 

 and ready. The brutes were gone. Walking stealthily 

 forward, I searched the ground for sign of them, but 

 could see nothing, though they were stalking me from 

 different sides. At last, seeing two men advancing, one 

 gave me a chance as he slunk behind some bushes. I 

 fired, and the bullet struck the branches and missed its 

 mark. I did not see them any more, and was glad it was 

 early morning and not late at night, as four wolves to- 

 gether are not an agreeable sight. They look so huge 

 from the amount of hair they carry. 



The same day a native brought noe four young wolves 

 in a basket. He had found them in a burrow, and dug 

 them out for the Government reward. They were very 

 fearless-looking, bright -eyed little hairy fellows, with 

 sharp noses and ears erect and ready for anything. They 

 were about twenty-four days old probably, and already 

 knew a lot. Having heard of wolves rearing babies, I 

 thought it a good opportunity to return the compliment 



