A hunter's life. 155 



so uear to me that I shot at him ; but I was iu such a 

 hurry that I only wounded hira. He separated from the 

 others, but my old dog followed and fought him well ; 

 though it w^as so dark that I could not see to take part in 

 the combat, and therefore returned to the house. 



As I went back, the other wolves met me, some on one 

 side and some on the other, and growled at me. I held 

 my gun in my hand ; being determined that if they did 

 attack me I would put it against one of them, kill him, 

 and then beat it to pieces over any one that wonld attack 

 me afterwards. I have since thought it was the smell of 

 the recently-discharged gun that kept them from me, as 

 they dislike the smell of gunpowder. 



During the whole night, our dogs could not go out of 

 the house without being pursued back to the door ; though 

 it was so dark that I could not see one of the wolves. As 

 the day began to break, I took my old dog, stole around 

 the wolves, and placed myself between them and a swamp 

 which I knew they would enter, and there seated myself, 

 to await their coming. 



While I was waiting for them they commenced howling ; 

 during which time I ran up close to them. But as it was 

 not light enough to see, I sat down a minute or two in 

 concealment ; when I saw a large fellow coming towards 

 me. I let him come as near as I wished, when, as I fired 

 on him, the others ran towards the house, and my dog pur- 

 sued the wounded wolf. I ran after my dog and the wolf, 

 till I saw the latter lay down under a pine-tree ; when I 

 loaded my gun, and made ready to shoot him in the head. 

 But Mr. Hoy, having seen the other wolves coming toward 

 the house, had set the dogs on them, and they came scam- 

 pering back by me again. I fired at them as they passed, 

 when my dog left the wounded wolf, and ran after the 

 other dogs and wolves. We saw nothing of the dogs from 

 that time until afternoon ; when only my old dog and one 



