284 ADVENTURES OF CHAMOIS HUNTERS. 



bears. The cattle belonging to the peasantry suffers much 

 from these animals, and, consequently, it becomes ne- 

 cessary, at certain seasons to hunt, them, with a view 

 of keeping down their numbers. A wolf-hunt usually 

 takes place on Sunday, as, on no other day, could the 

 regular hunters get together a sufficient body of the 

 peasantry. One Saturday evening, during my visit, a pack 

 of wolves, which had been extremely destructive among 

 the cattle a few weeks before, was reported to have taken 

 up a position in the centre of the Grand Forest. A 

 party of hunters was immediately ordered, to proceed to 

 the forest for the purpose of calling the wolves a duty 

 which consists in keeping up a howling, the men thus 

 ascertaining the exact place where the animals are prowling, 

 and also the covert, in which they station themselves at 

 the approach of morn. When the wolves on this occasion 

 had taken to their covert, the hunters returned and 

 made their report. Notice was immediately give to the 

 peasants of the neighborhood, to equip themselves and 

 assemble at the church. 



As soon as mass was ended, eighty men, with guns, 

 and one hundred and fifty beaters, announced themselves 

 as ready to attend the hunt. I was one of the armed men. 

 After travelling six or seven miles, the party arrived at the 

 centre of the Grand Forest, where a number of the under 

 chasseurs were in waiting. No extraordinary adventure 



