76 A MONTH IN THE FORESTS OF FRANCE. 



huntsman's noise, I asked Jules d'Ancliald if there 

 was no open valley, or ride, or break in the woods 

 down wind of him, where we could post ourselves for 

 the chance of seeing the wolf disturbed, and giving a 

 holloa. He shook his head, and replied, " No ; " so I 

 had nothing to do but to remain idly where I was, 

 and interchange inspection of guns, with the poachers 

 in blouses, and game bags ; and thus introduce myself 

 to the knowledge of every sort of French firearm 

 under the sun, double and single, shot-gun, rifle, and 

 carbine. These men always attend in large numbers 

 on an attack of wolves, for the chance of getting the 

 reward, if they kill a wolf, paid by Government for 

 his head ; and a right jolly set of good-humoured 

 fellows they are. 



Having spent a vast deal of time listening to this 

 abortive draw, and got up a conversation with an 

 Abbe in his long black cassock and a double gun 

 slung over his shoulder, I suppose on the vulgate 

 principle that " Leo devorans semper percutiatur," 

 M. Lucas sounded a sonorous recall, and the hunts- 

 man and his two old hounds came out of cover — he 

 having, by his false report of the presence of wolves, 

 made what, in French venerie, is termed a " hollow 

 bush " — in English, a cover with nothing in it. 



A long conversation then took place, the upshot of 



