THE WOLF OF MUSKOKA 179 



" In another minute, however, the wolves found 

 it too hot for them and bolted from the thicket. 

 My first notice of this was seeing the cowboy, 

 who was standing by the side of his horse, 

 suddenly throw up his rifle and fire, while the 

 greyhounds, who had been springing high in the 

 air half maddened by the clamour in the thicket 

 below, for a moment dashed off the wrong way, 

 confused by the report of the gun. I rode for 

 all I was worth to where the cowboy stood, and 

 instantly caught a glimpse of two wolves, 

 grizzled-grey and brown, which having been 

 turned by his shot had started straight over 

 the hill across the plain towards the mountains 

 three miles away. As soon as I saw them I saw 

 also that the rearmost of the couple had been 

 hit somewhere in the body and was lagging 

 behind, the blood running from its flanks, while 

 the two greyhounds were racing after it ; and 

 at the same moment the track-hounds and the 

 big dogs burst out of the thicket yelling savagely 

 as they struck the bloody trail. The wolf was 

 hard hit and staggered as he ran. He did not 

 have 100 yards start of the dogs, and in less 

 than a minute one of the greyhounds ranged 

 up and passed him with a savage snap that 



