THE EXTINCT BRITISH WOLF. 
263 
land, at a place between Fi-Griuthas and Pall-a-chrocain, and 
according to popular chronology no longer ago than the year 
1743. The district in which he was killed was well calculated 
to have given harbour to the last of a savage race. All the 
country round his haunt was an extent of wild and desolate 
moorland hills, beyond which, in the west, there was retreat 
to the vast wilderness of the Monaidh-Lith, an immense tract 
of desert mountains utterly uninhabited, and unfrequented 
except by summer herds and herdsmen, but when the cattle 
had retired abundantly replenished with deer and other game, 
to give ample provision to the 66 wild dogs.” The last of their 
race was killed by MacQueen of Pall-a-chrocain, who died in 
the year 1797, and was the most celebrated “ carnach ” of the 
Findhorn for an unknown period. Of gigantic stature, six feet 
seven inches in height, he was equally remarkable for his 
strength, courage, and celebrity as a deer-stalker, and had the 
best “ long dogs ” or deer greyhounds in the country. One 
winter’s day, about the year before mentioned, he received a 
message from the Laird of Macintosh that a large “ black beast,” 
supposed to be a wolf, had appeared in the glens, and the day 
before killed two children, who with their mother were crossing 
the hills from Calder, in consequence of which a “ Tainchel ” or 
“ gathering ” to drive the country was called to meet at a tryst 
above Fi-Griuthas, where MacQueen was invited to attend with 
his dogs. He informed himself of the place where the children 
had been killed, the last tracks of the wolf, and the conjectures 
of his haunt, and promised his assistance. 
In the morning the “ Tainchel ” had long assembled, and 
Macintosh waited with impatience, but MacQueen did not 
arrive. His dogs and himself were, however, auxiliaries too 
important to be left behind, and they continued to wait until 
the best of a hunter’s morning was gone, when at last he 
appeared, and Macintosh received him with an irritable expres- 
sion of disappointment. 
“ Ciod e a chabhagV ’ (“What was the hurry?”) said he of 
Pall-a-chrocain. 
Macintosh gave an indignant retort, and all present made 
some impatient reply. 
MacQueen lifted his plaid and drew the black, bloody head 
of the wolf from under his arm ! 
“ Sin e dhuibh!” (“There it is for you!”) said he, and 
tossed it on the grass in the midst of the surprised circle. 
Macintosh expressed great joy and admiration, and gave him 
the land called Sean-achan for meat to his dogs. 
Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, in his “Account of the Moray 
Floods of August, 1829,” tells the story of the wolf killed in 
that district by MacQueen of Pall-a-chrocain, but lays the 
