WOLF DAYS IN PENNSYLVANIA. 103 



bride had retired, a wolf's yowling was heard outside 

 the log cabin, which stood near Tea Springs. Still 

 lying in bed, the hunter picked up his rifle, and, firing 

 through the open window, hit and killed the brute as 

 he stood in the centre of the clearing, in the moonlight, 

 barking his defiance at the destroyers of his family. 

 J. R. Ramsey, of Treaster Valley, Mifflin County, re- 

 lates how when his grandfather was a boy, about 

 eighty years ago, and courting the girl whom he after- 

 wards married, he was followed one night by several 

 black wolves. They pressed him so closely for such a 

 long distance that he determined to ward them off in 

 some way. Backing up against a large tree he began 

 throwing pieces of meat at the brutes from a basket 

 which he carried. When it was all gone, the wolves 

 made a closer approach, and not knowing what else 

 to do, he picked up a stone, and began striking it 

 against the blade of a scythe, which he was also carry- 

 ing. As soon as he began this the wolves all ran away, 

 as if scared out of their wits. The woodsman said, 

 disgusted : "The plague take you all. If I had known 

 you liked that sound so well, you should have had it 

 before dinner." This anecdote is strikingly like one of 

 a soldier in Ireland, mentioned by Harting, in his "Ex- 

 tinct British Animals." It appeared that a military 

 man, who was on his way to take passage for Eng- 

 land, had to pass through a wood, and, being weary, 

 sat down under a tree, opening his knapsack, which 

 contained some victuals, and commenced to eat. Sud- 

 denly he was surprised by several wolves, which were 



