A nUNTEU'P LIFE. 353 



my horse, and vveut into the laurels of Meadow Mountain, 

 where I set two large traps, and caught one bear ; but in 

 consequence of a wedding to which my wife and myself 

 had an invitation, I neglected the traps so long, that the 

 bear gnawed off a log, and escaped. 



The spring following, I set my traps again ; and while 

 attending to them, I found there was a den of wolves not 

 far distant. One day I told my wife that I would visit my 

 traps, and at the same time would look for the wolves ; 

 but she, like my first wife, was fearful that, when the old 

 wolves found me meddling with their whelps, they would 

 turn on me and tear me to pieces. I reasoned with her, 

 and told her that my other wife used to entertain the same 

 fears ; but that, after a long experience, she got entirely 

 cured of them ; and that she must not be uneasy on my 

 account, for I had lived almost a lifetime among such ani- 

 mals, and never yet received a wound from any of them. 

 After she had heard my reasons, she became less afraid ; 

 so, taking with me my horse, dog, and an orphan boy 

 who lived with us, otf I started for my traps and the 

 wolf den. 



There being a deer lick in the neighborhood of the traps, 

 I made a fire, and directed the boy to stay by it, and keep 

 the dog quiet, while I went to the deer lick to watch. I 

 there climbed high up in a tree. I expected to hear the 

 old wohes howl when it was dark ; for they never carry 

 their food to the den, but take it within a hundred steps 

 or so, and then howl for the young ones to come and feed 

 on what they bring. It is supposed that the old wolves 

 will not take any prey near their dens, because they are 

 afraid that other animals, such as bears and panthers, will 

 smell the place, come to their den, and destroy their whelps. 

 I do not know why it is, but it is certainly true that they 

 never carry their meat to the den, but keep at a good dis- 

 tance, where their pups feed ; and it is my opinion that the 

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