THE WOLVES. 137 
employing them to extirpate their common enemy ; 
particularly as in times of peace their garrison 
duties are any thing but important. The Prussian 
government alone has displayed an active anxiety 
to at least abate the evil;* and in Switzerland, for 
more than two centuries, when a wolf appears, the 
church bells ring an alarm; each person takes his 
rifle, all the dogs are out, and in a short time he is 
killed or driven back to Zante or Savoy. 
The ferocity of these animals is often of a very 
treacherous character. We were told by a butcher 
of New York that he had brought up, and believed 
that he had tamed, a wolf, which he kept for above 
two years chained in the slaughter-house, where it 
lived in complete superabundance of blood and 
offals. One night having occasion for some imple- 
ment which he believed was accessible in the dark, 
he went in without thinking of the wolf. The 
butcher wore a thick frieze coat, and while stooping 
to grope for what he wanted, he heard the chain 
rattle, and instantly he was struck down by the 
animal springing upon him. Fortunately a favourite 
cattle-dog had followed his master, and he rushed 
forward to defend him. The wolf had hold of the 
man’s collar, and being obliged to tur in his own 
defence, the butcher had time to draw a sticking- 
knife, with which he ripped his assailant open. 
But although these examples, and others related 
* See, on this subject, the interesting remarks of Dr Weis- 
senhorn. 
