THE WOLF. 177 



a firm grip of the Wolfs tail, whicli he wound round 

 his left arm, and although the maddened brute 

 scrambled and twisted and strove with all her might 

 to force'herself down to the rescue of her cubs. Poison 

 was just able with the exertion of all his strength to 

 keep her from going forward. In the midst of this 

 singular struggle, which passed in silence, his son 

 within the cave, finding the light excluded from above, 

 asked in Gaelic, ' Father, what is keeping the light 

 from us ? ' 'If the root of the tail breaks,' replied 

 he, ' you will soon know that. ' Before long, how- 

 ever, the man contrived to get hold of his hunting- 

 knife, and stabbed the Wolf in the most vital parts he 

 could reach. The enraged animal now attempted to 

 turn and face her foe, but the hole was too narrow 

 to allow of this ; and when Poison saw his danger he 

 squeezed her forward, keeping her jammed in whilst 

 he repeated his stabs as rapidly as he could, until 

 the animal being mortally wounded, was easily 

 dragged back and finished. 



" These were the last Wolves killed in Sutherland, 

 and the den was between Craig-Rhadich and Craig- 

 Voakie, by the narrow Glen of Loth, a place replete 

 with objects connected with traditionary legends."* 



This story was related by the Duke of Sutherland's 

 head forester in 1 848 to Mr. J. F. Campbell, who has 

 narrated it in his "Popular Tales of the West 

 Highlands," vol. i. p. 273. 



" Every district," says Stuart in his " Lays of the 

 Deer Forest," " has its ' last ' Wolf," and there were 



* Scrope's " Days of Deer Stalking," p. 374. 



