GAME. 217 



Our dogs, having sighted him, quickly caught him up ; 

 but were shy of making further acquaintance with him, 

 until ur<, r ed on by the cries of the huntsman, when they 

 soon rolled him over. The wolf had tried at first to gallop 

 off ; but, unfortunately for him, he had partaken too freely 

 of his breakfast, and could not escape from his swift and 

 strong pursuers. He was quickly despatched with the 

 butt end of the huntsman 's whip. We proceeded with 

 our trophy homewards, and, upon reaching a hamlet 

 belonging to the property of Wereiki, the peasants met 

 us, expressing the greatest delight at the death of their 

 enemy. They told the Count that hardly a night passed 

 in which the wolves did not rob them of sheep ; and that, 

 two nights before, they had made off with a cow. Two 

 old wolves with four young ones had been lately seen by 

 them; and, no doubt, the one we had just killed was one 

 of the litter. He appeared about eight months old ; more 

 than three parts grown, and very strong ; the bone of his 

 leg was very large. He was in colour a brown-grey and 

 black, with light tan legs, and greyish eyes. He ran with 

 his tail between his legs, just like a cowardly cur. In 

 winter, wolves assemble in large numbers, and, being 

 stimulated by hunger, are very formidable. But, as long 

 as they are alone, and not much pinched for food, they are 

 easily frightened. On one occasion, the wife of the Count's 

 farm director was returning in her carriage from a friend's 

 house, where she had been visiting, about five miles dis- 

 tant. One of her carriage horses was a mare, by the side 

 of which (as the custom is in Poland) was running a little 

 black foal. It was just becoming dark, when suddenly 

 they were startled by seeing what they at first thought 

 was a dog, running after the foal. But the coachman 

 soon made him out to be a large wolf. He gave the reins 

 to the lady ; and, jumping out of the carriage, picked up 

 a goodly supply of stones. He then called the foal, which 

 instantly ran up to him : for the foals, being always in the 

 stables with the other horses, become tame as dogs. The 

 coachman next turned round manfully upon his enemy, 



