72 THROUGH CANADA 



silence, and a strange look of disgust on Mark's 

 good-humoured face. 



In the light of the burning logs the ranger told us 

 many a story of the cunning and treachery of that 

 subtle beast of the forest. The advance of civiliza- 

 tion into the North-West, and the introduction of the 

 repeating rifle, have cowed the American grey wolf. 

 Previous to their advent there are well-anthenticated 

 cases of travellers and trappers falling a prey to their 

 ferocity. All the instincts of devilry are still there, 

 and it needs only the occasion to stimulate them into 

 activity. The abundance of deer and other animals 

 in Algonquin Park supplies them with ample food, 

 and they keep out of sight as if they were aware that 

 a price was set on their heads. The £2, offered by 

 the Government is, however, rarely earned. 



In the winter, hunger, supervening on the scarcity 

 of food, emboldens them, and one or two fall to the 

 rifle. The attempts to trap them are rarely success- 

 ful, and they are suspicious of the poisoned meat 

 distributed through the forest, and generally eschew 

 it. In the depths of the snow baited spring traps are 

 set Tor them, but only on rare occasion are they 

 caught. Mark told us how he had smeared every 

 portion of the ironwork with fat in the hope of 

 deceiving them. Evidence that the bait was noticed 

 was indicated by the tracks all round it, and even the 

 snow was scraped away from the buried chain and 

 the grease licked off. Smooth patches showed where 



