Trail and Camp-Fire 



blanket about them, I threw one of them 

 around and kicked the wolf in the ribs, when 

 it promptly disappeared, and I saw nothing 

 more of it. 



I have since concluded that the wolf was 

 uncertain whether it sat by a carcass or a living 

 person, and was experimenting to satisfy itself 

 on this point before beginning its meal. The 

 animal was certainly a gray wolf, as shown by 

 its size and outline, which I distinctly saw 

 against the starlight sky, as well as by the 

 resistance that I felt when my foot struck it, 

 for it was not a small animal. 



The wolf of Northern Europe is said to 



be a ferocious beast, and, when pressed by 



hunger in winter, frequently to destroy human 



beings. The wolf of North America, which is 



essentially the same animal, is notoriously a 



coward, aad avoids man when he can. It is 



true that at frequent intervals stories appear 



in the newspapers giving accounts of attacks 



on human beings by wolves in this country. 



Such stories usually contain internal evidence 



of their falsity. Others on investigation have 



proved to be inventions, others still cannot be 



traced to their authors. 



The fact seems to be that, until the advent 



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