CRASNOf LAIS. 39 



' quartal ' a wolf had entered it, and the whole 

 pack gradually converging towards the centre had 

 surrounded and killed three of the roes, which in 

 rushing from one wolf must have dashed right into 

 the jaws of another. My friend told me that he 

 himself had been witness of another instance of the 

 wolfs cunning whilst driving on the post-road in 

 winter. A cow and her calf were feeding by the 

 road side, and two wolves were endeavouring to 

 carry off the calf. One of them kept frolicking 

 about in front of the cow, rolling on the ground or 

 snapping at her nose, to distract her attention, the 

 calf meanwhile getting under her mother in rear. 

 Here the second wolf attacked her, and seemed in a 

 fair way to accomplish his object when my friend 

 drove by. 



The natives have many wonderful tales to tell 

 of wolves, of which perhaps the most incredible is 

 that if, when you are pursued by a pack, you have 

 the presence of mind to squat down on your 

 haunches, the wolves will come and surround you 

 in a similar attitude, and after some time spent in 

 contemplation will slowly retire, leaving you un- 

 molested. I can only say that the man who had 

 faith enough to put this to the proof would deserve 

 to live to tell the tale. It is in spring, when 

 the she-wolf is followed by a party of her grim 

 suitors, that the Tscherkcsses and Cossacks most 

 dread this animal, and then they say they are 



