THE WILD BOY OF FIND US 321 



ground into the den, the boy running on all-fours 

 quite as fast as the young wolves. The man then 

 got assistance and dug the whole party out ; the 

 wolves and boy bolted together, and the boy was 

 caught, fastened to a rope, and led to the village. 

 He could not speak, but growled and snarled like 

 a young wolf, and tried to bolt into every hole or 

 shelter that was passed. After four days he was 

 sent to an English officer, Captain Nicholetts. 

 Though kindly treated, he never learnt to speak, 

 ran away from grown-up people, flew at children 

 and tried to bite them, and ran to eat his food on 

 all-fours. But he was friendly with a pariah-dog, 

 and would let it share his food. He would suck 

 up a whole pitcher of buttermilk without drawing 

 breath apparently. He never laughed or smiled, 

 and destroyed all clothes given him. Two and a 

 half years after his capture he died, and just before 

 his death spoke once or twice, saying his head ached, 

 and pronouncing the word for water. Another 

 child caught in a wolfs den in the same neighbour- 

 hood was even more savage. He would only eat 

 raw flesh, on which he put his hands as a dog puts 

 its fore-feet. He drank in the manner mentioned 

 before, and habitually ran on all-fours, from which 

 his knees and knuckles were quite hard. Though 

 reclaimed by his mother, he was quite untameable, 



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