WOLVERINE. 349 



-fcliem. If hungry they may devour two or three of the martens 

 they find captured, the remainder being carried off and hidden 

 in the snow at a considerable distance. The work of demoli- 

 tion goes on as fast as the traps can be renewed. 



The propensity to steal and hide things is one of the strong- 

 est traits of the wolverine. To such an extent is it developed 

 that the animal will often secrete articles of no possible use to 

 itself. Besides the wanton destruction of marten traps, it will 

 carry off the sticks and hide them at a distance, apparently 

 in sheer malice. Mr. Ross, in the article above quoted, has 

 given an amusing instance of the extreme of this propensity. 

 The desire for accumulating property seems so deeply implanted 

 in this animal, that, like tame ravens, it does not appear to care 

 much what it steals so that it can exercise its favourite propen- 

 sity to commit mischief. An instance occurred within my own 

 knowledge, in which a hunter and his family having left their 

 lodge unguarded during their absence, on their return found 

 it completely gutted — the walls were there, but nothing else. 

 Blankets, guns, kettles, axes, cans, knives, and all the other 

 paraphernalia of a trapper's tent had vanished, and the tracks 

 left by the beast showed who had been the thief. The family 

 set to work, and by carefully following up all his paths re- 

 covered, with some trifling exceptions, the whole of the lost 

 •property. 



****** 



At Peel's River, on one occasion, a very old carcajou dis- 

 covered my marten road, on which I had nearly a hundred and 

 fifty traps. I was in the habit of visiting the line about once a 

 fortnight, but the beast fell into the way of coming oftener 

 than I did, to my great annoyance and vexation. I deter- 

 mined to put a stop to his thieving and his life together, cost 

 what it might. So I made six strong traps at as many different 

 points, and also set three steel traps. For three weeks I tried 

 my best to catch the beast without success ; and my worst 

 enemy would allow that I am no green hand in these matters. 

 The animal carefully avoided the traps set for his own benefit, 

 and seemed to be taking more delight than ever in demolishing 

 my marten traps and eating the martens, scattering the poles 

 in every direction, and caching what baits or martens he did 

 not devour on the spot. As we had no poison in those days, I 

 next set a gun on the bank of a little lake. The gun was con- 

 cealed in some low bushes, but the bait was so placed that the 

 carcajou must see it on his way up the bank. I blockaded my 

 path to the gun with a small pine tree, which completely hid 



