CRASNOI LAIS. 23 



came to a tract of another nature, bare and rock- 

 strewn ; and here, within half a mile of the station 

 at which we slept, I was surprised to see numbers 

 of foxes hunting about in the snow for food. I 

 should think that at one time a score must have been 

 in sight simultaneously. As soon as we had taken 

 in our rugs and ordered the samovar, I took my 

 riHe, as it was not yet dusk, and tried to stalk 

 one of these little red rovers, without the least 

 compunction, as foxhounds are probably a blessing 

 of civilisation with which these barren lands will 

 never be acquainted. But though I stalked a good 

 deal and shot once or twice, I did no good until I 

 got to a frozen lake, some three-quarters of a mile 

 from the station. Here I wounded a fox and fol- 

 lowed him for some distance over the ice, and in 

 doing so came across the remains of some large 

 animal lately torn to pieces by brutes of prey. 



Having given up my fox, I was meditating 

 what manner of beasts these might be, when my 

 answer came in a long, weird howl. No need to 

 tell any one what that sound is. Instinct teaches 

 every man to recognise the wolfs howl, and once 

 heard it is not easily forgotten. The first howl 

 was followed by another and another, and though 

 I have no wish to pose as a coward, I frankly 

 admit I wished I was anywhere but three-quarters 

 of a mile from a house, and all the distance two 

 feet deep in snow, which would not bear my weight 



