HUNTING WOLVES. 149 



The rain lasted till the 12th January. The various 

 streams had become cataracts and rivers, so we were 

 obliged to remain at home two days longer. Meantime 

 our store of meat had fallen very low, and there appeared 

 little hope of being able to use that which we had left 

 hanging in the forest. However we hastened away to 

 save the skins, if there was yet time. The streams were 

 still so swelled that we could only pass them on horse- 

 back. We reached our last camp about noon, and found, 

 as we had expected, that the meat was tainted, and the 

 greater part of it devoured by vultures. We stretched 

 the skins, in the hope that the wind, with the help of a 

 faint sun, which was peering bashfully through the 

 clouds, might dry them. 



As it grew late, and we had no other provisions than 

 bread and salt, we set off with the dogs to look for tur- 

 keys, and came upon a gang just as they were making 

 themselves comfortable for the night. We killed two, 

 and might have shot more, but did not wish to increase 

 the quantity of decaying meat in the neighborhood. On 

 this account we removed our camp about half a mile off, 

 stretched our blankets to keep off a light drizzling rain, 

 hobbled the horses, and fed them with maize. The 

 wolves made a dreadful noise all night at our old quar- 

 ters. In the morning the rain held up, and the clouds 

 separated a little; so I set off to try and steal a march 

 on them, and spoil their howling. The leaves were wet, 

 and going round to gain the wind, I crept for about two 

 hundred yards on my knees up to a large tree, and 

 counted eight of them. Although they wt-re to wind- 

 ward of me, one of them raised his head and began snuff- 



