THE WOLVERINE. 



487 



ing, some miners X)assecl the cabin, following what they 

 called the tracks of a Mountain Lion. My brother followed 

 them, and found the tracks ended at the opening of a 

 mining-shaft. A heavy fall of snow had nearly covered 

 this over, and the animal had accidentally fallen some forty 

 feet to the bottom, where a foot or two of snow prevented 

 any serious injury from the fall. 



"Charles lowered himself to the bottom, when a shot- 

 gun loaded with heavy shot, and a lantern, were sent 

 down. The miners above were ox^posed to his x»roceeding, 

 and wished to haul him out, but in vain. From the bottom 

 of the shaft a drift extended about thirty feet, and then 

 branched into a 'Y.' At the point of branching was a 

 large timber to hold the roof. Pausing here a moment be- 

 fore proceeding to exjplore the right-hand opening, Charles 

 pointed the gun into this drift, and started to advance, 

 when, with a snarl which sounded loud enough in the nar- 

 row drift, the Wolverine came from the other branch. My 

 brother was unable to point the gun into that drift in time 

 . to shoot, because of the timber, and so was defenseless. 



"Acting on the x)rincix)le that wild animals are usually 

 afraid of an artificial light, he swung the lantern into its 

 face, which caused it to retreat. As quickly as jDossible, 

 the gun was brought to bear ux)on the x3rox:)er point, where- 

 upon the Wolverine uttered another snarl and came again. 

 Taking as good an aim as x>ossible in the uncertain light, a 

 shot was fired, which of course extinguished the light. 

 After waiting for a time, with one finger upon the other 

 trigger, Charles relighted the lantern, and found the 

 Wolverine dead, just in front of him. 



"There were no other Wolverines in the vicinity, so far 

 as known. A sheep- herder, near bj^, had complained dur- 

 ing the summer of losing sheep and lambs, sux^posing them 

 to have been taken by Mountain Lions, which had been 

 seen in the vicinitv." 



As Scandinavian naturalists have so often spoken of the 

 Glutton's fondness for mutton, it is probable that the 



