226 A SPEING AND SUMMER IN LAPLAND. 



regards this bloodthirsty, cowardly animal; and 

 truly may we say that every man's hand is against 

 them here. As soon as the track of a wolf is seen 

 in the snow, the Laps hunt him down on skiddor, 

 and never leave the . spor till the wolf is killed. 

 Those wlio first start on the trail follow it up till 

 they are tired, when others take up the running, 

 and so on, till the beast is fairly brought to bay. By 

 this means many are killed every winter ; but still, 

 considering all things, they are certainly very rare 

 in the vicinity of Quickiock, and they never seem 

 to hunt in flocks. They appear to follow the 

 herd of reindeer singly, or in pairs ; and as soon 

 as ever the reindeer came up to the fells in the 

 spring, two large old wolves appeared in our 

 forests. We saw them twice, but we never were 

 within shot. One day in the end of April, my lad, 

 who was out by the side of a frozen lake, saw a 

 wolf coming right up to him over the ice. He hid 

 himself behind a bush, and made sure of a shot. 

 The wolf, however, probably smelt him, and crossed 

 above him, just out of shot. Immediately after- 

 wards, a solitary young reindeer came trotting up 

 to the lad, doubtless for protection, and followed 

 him right down to Quickiock. Probably it was 

 that reindeer that the wolf was after. We never 

 heard the howl but once, and that was one night, 

 when camped out on the fells. Of all dismal 



