THE WOLF. 121 



bathing stations were buried under snow, and presented a curious^ 

 aspect, for the houses being shut up and abandoned by the inhabi- 

 tants, the wolves roamed through the streets, uttering mournful 

 howls. This spectacle was to be witnessed even at Bagneres de 

 Luchon. 



In the winter of 1867 a cattle train on the Luxembourg rail- 

 way was stopped by the snow between Libramont and Poix, and, 

 quoting from the Nord, " The brakesman was sent forward to try 

 and clear the line. The guard, firemen, engine-driver, and the 

 officer of customs set to work to get the snow out from under the 

 engine. They were startled by five wolves, who made a descent 

 upon the train, attracted no doubt by the scent of the cattle and 

 sheep penned up in the carriages. The men had not any weapons-^ 

 but the fire utensils belonging to the engine. The five wolves 

 formed a semi-circle a few yards distant, and looked keenly on. 

 The men let off steam, blew the whistle, waved lanterns to and 

 fro to try and frighten the brutes, but they sat still and did not 

 move, The men then tried to make their way to the guard's 

 carriage, but the wolves at once followed them. Three reached 

 it safely ; but the fourth was not so fortunate, for while his foot 

 was on the step one of the animals sprang at him, succeeding 

 only, however, in tearing his coat. All the wolves now joined in 

 the attack, but were beaten off, and by a dexterous blow on the 

 head one of them was killed, Thus they remained for two hours 

 before assistance arrived ; the wolves during this time made 

 several ineffectual attempts to get at the sheep in the trucks, but 

 fortunately none of them were injured. The adventure, however, 

 was a curiqus one to meet with on such a well-known line of 

 railroad." 



The winter of 1879 was a very cold one in Paris, and some of 

 the papers at the time gave a remarkable illustration of the 

 severity of the weather, by stating that the gendarmes, who were 

 going their rounds on the Bois de Boulogne, were informed that 

 three wolves had been seen near the Nouveau Chalet ; and, sure 

 enough, before long the animals were sighted — a she-wolf and two 

 nearly full-grown young ones. Directly the brutes saw they 

 were being pursued, they quickly disappeared into the woods, but 

 their presence in the neighbourhood was a startling phenomenon. 



