BLACK AMERICAN WOLF. 
li;y 
ing the bones of his friend lay scattered around on the snow, which was 
stained with his blood. Three dead wolves lay near, but the rest of the 
pack had disappeared ; and Scipio sliding to the ground, recovered the axes 
and returned home to relate the terrible catastrophe. 
About two years after this occurrence, as we were travelling between 
Henderson and Vincennes, we chanced to stop for the night at the house 
of a farmer, (for in those days hotels were scarce in that part of the good 
State of Indiana.) After putting up our horses and refreshing ourself, wm en- 
tered into conversation with our worthy host, and were invited by him to 
visit the wolf pits which he had constructed about half a mile Irom the 
house. Glad of the opportunity, we accompanied him across the fields to 
the skirts of the adjoining forest, where he had three pits within a few 
hundred yards of each other. They were about eight feet deep, broadest 
at the bottom, so as to render it impossible for the most active animal to 
escape from them. The mouth of each pit was covered with a revolving 
platform of boughs and twigs, interlaced together and attached to a cross 
piece of timber, which served for an axle. On this light sort oi platform, 
which was balanced by a heavy stick of wood fastened to the under side, 
a large piece of putrid venison was tied for bait. After examining all the 
pits, we returned to the house, our companion remarking that he was in the 
habit of visiting his pits daily, in order to .see that all was right ; that the 
wmlves had been very bad that season ; had destroyed nearly all his sheep, 
and had killed one of his colts. “ But,” added he, “ I am now paying them off 
in full, and if I have any luck, you will see some fun in the morning.” With 
this expectation we retired to rest, and were up at day-light. “ I think,” 
said our host, “ that all is right ; for I see the dogs are anxious to get away 
to the pits, and although they are nothing but curs, their noses are pretty 
keen for wolves.” As he took up his gun and axe and a large knife, the 
dogs began to howl and bark, and whisked around us as if full of delight. 
When we reached the first pit, we found the bait had been disturbed and 
the platform was somewhat injured, but the animal was not in the pit. On 
examining the second pit, we discovered three famous fellows safe enough 
ill it, two black and one brindled, all of good size. They were lying flat on 
the earth, with their ears close down to their heads, their eyes indicating 
fear more than anger. To our astonishment, tlie farmer proposed des- 
cending into the pit to hamstring them, in order to liaul them up, and then 
allow them to be killed by the dogs, which, he said, would sharpen his curs 
for an encounter with the wolves, should any come near his house in fu- 
ture. Being novices in this kind of business, we begged to be lookers on. 
“ With all my heart,” cried the farmer, “ stand here, and look at me,” where- 
upon he glided down, on a knobbed pole, taking his axe and knife with him, 
