73Q 
A Wolf Hunt in Central Italy. 
Few of those who have visited Italy as tourists, 
seeing only its great cities and never leaving the 
beaten path, know anything of its interior. The 
rugged slopes of the Apenines, with their primi¬ 
tive inhabitants, customs that date back hun¬ 
dreds of years, and immense stretches of wilder¬ 
ness, are a closed book to them. Hence, if one 
speak of wolves, bitter winters, or the like, there 
is a laugh. Nevertheless the writer took part in 
a wolf hunt a few years ago which would have 
done credit to the backwoods of Canada, and the 
truth of the tale which follows may be authen¬ 
ticated in its main points, through the archives 
of the little town of Subiaco, in the Sabine hills. 
The winter had been an unusually severe one 
in Central Italy and just as the usual thaw was 
expected, in February, there came a sudden cold 
snap which kept the mercury hovering around 
zero for over a week. The suffering in the moun¬ 
tains was terrible. The live stock perished right 
and left, lack of means of communication stopped 
the food supply, and cold and hunger claimed 
many victims. In Rome we often heard of packs 
of wolves descending to within hailing distance 
of the villages in the foothills and killing sheep, 
but every winter this occurs, so we thought little 
of it. 
One evening as I sat before a blazing log 
fire trving to get some of the heat that refused 
to warm the room, as is the rule in Italian 
houses, Count Lucidi was ushered in. I greeted 
him heartily, for he was an old friend of the 
family’s, and despite the difference in our ages 
we were great chums. He had taught me my 
first lessons in shooting seven years before, and 
ever since we had been inseparable hunting 
mates. 
Installing himself as near the fireplace as pos¬ 
sible, he handed me a copy of the Tribuna and 
pointed to a short paragraph. 
“Read that,” he said, “it will explain my visit.” 
Following is a free translation of what I read : 
“A telegram to the Agenzia Stefani reports 
the finding, about five kilometers out of Subiaco, 
on the road to Santa Scolastica, of the bodies of 
two Royal Carbineers, literally torn to pieces by 
wolves. According to Giovanni Fiorino.. who 
discovered the bodies, the soldiers had evidently 
made a desperate stand and only succumbed after 
their ammunition gave out. Two of the savage 
brutes lay dead a few yards away and tracks of 
blood in the snow indicated that others must 
have been wounded. At the barracks in Subiaco 
the unfortunate men were identified as Sergeant 
Luciano Bruschi and Private Carlo Robbiani, who 
left Subiaco late Monday afternoon to patrol the 
road to San Benedetto.” 
I handed back the paper. “Do you believe 
it?” I asked. 
“Believe it?” he exclaimed. “Why, man alive, 
that Bruschi is a brother of Toto’s, the master 
of our boar hounds, and he has been notified 
of the death by the authorities.” 
This was a terrible shock to me. It is not 
until tragedies are brought home to us that we. 
fully realize their horror. We had hunted with 
Toto not ten days before; I was speechless. The 
count went on: 
“Our poor friend is nearly mad with rage and 
grief. He came and told me all about it and 
begged me to organize a party to exterminate 
the pack at once. T have secured five men and 
came here t0' see if you’d be the sixth.” 
I could hardly repress the pleasure I felt at 
the prospect. “When do we start,” I asked 
eagerlv. 
“Then you’ll go?” 
“Why of course I will.” 
“Good; that is settled, then. We meet at 5:30 
to-morrow morning at Porta San Lorenzo. 
Better bring twenty rounds of buckshot and as 
many chained bullets for your shotgun, and don’t 
forget your revolver and boar bayonet. They 
may come in handy. Above all, don’t be late.” 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
I spent a restless night and was out of the 
house by four. A sleepy night hawk conde¬ 
scended to convey me to the appointed gate m 
his rickety “botte,” and there, although I was 
half an hour early, I found five figures, await¬ 
ing me. As I alighted I heard Airoldi s deep 
voice announce to the others: Here s the 
American,” and the next moment I was shak¬ 
ing hands all around. . , 
I had reason to wonder at my being included 
in the party when I became aware of the identity 
of my companions. Each was a famous s P or ^?* 
man and evidently chosen with a view to effi¬ 
ciency. Airoldi, though still quite young, was 
one of the surest game shots in Rome. Lieut. 
Cerchiari, of the Thirteenth Artillery, knew no 
equal with rifle or pistol. Gigi Sindici, the great 
boar hunter, had an international reputation. 
Toto Bruschi had won the mastership of the 
boar hounds because of his knowledge of game 
and marksmanship, and Count Lucidi was sec¬ 
ond to none when it came to hunting. Pretty 
select company for a youth of twenty-two to be 
thrown in with. 
At the dilapidated shanty, which in those days 
served as station for the tramway to Tivoli, we 
found five kennel boys with a small pack of 
hounds. Pack, and hounds, by courtesy. A 
motley aggregation of mongrels would be more 
appropriate. Gameness and intelligence were the 
only requisites necessary to pass muster in the 
pack, and from the gigantic Paff, a vicious look¬ 
ing monster, mostly wolf hound, to the diminu¬ 
tive Roma, a graceful little gyp, half bull_ terrier, 
half pointer, there was not a good looking one 
in the lot. They could fight, though, and the 
meaning of fear was unknown to them. 
The train was later than usual, and gave us 
a cold wait, but we eventually got under way 
and then Bruschi, who was to be our leader, 
outlined his plan. At Tivoli we found a coun¬ 
try cart on runners awaiting our arrival, and this 
primitive conveyance bore us up the sixteen 
miles of hill to Subiaco where we transferred to 
sleighs. At an hour of dusk we passed out of 
the village and took the broad road skirting the 
shoulder of the mountain which leads to San 
Benedetto. To our left the hills rose abruptly, 
steep and thickly wooded. To the right the river 
Aniene flowed peacefully. 
It took us but a short while to reach the 
roadside house, and its strategic position ap¬ 
pealed to us at first glance. Built on the river 
side, it faced the mountains and offered a splen¬ 
did observation of the thick woods on the other 
side of the road. We stabled the horses in a 
barn a good way from the house, then killed two 
sheep which we split and lay at the opening of 
the woods and tied two more under the windows 
of the house. By the time this was done an ap¬ 
petizing roast was ready and we fell to-. Night 
fell, clear, still. Myriads of stars shone above, 
and their brilliancy, reflected by the spark¬ 
ling snow, made objects visible a long way off. 
Conditions could not have been better for our 
purpose. We sat around the fire smoking our 
pipes after dinner and taking turns to watch. 
Toto was restless and kept running to the 
window every few minutes. The others were 
excited, but quiet. All lights had been extin¬ 
guished, even the fire smouldered. Each sat with 
gun within reach, ready for emergencies, and lis¬ 
tening attentively to "the strange noises of the 
night. The vigil seemed interminable. At last, 
about 9 o’clock, unexpectedly, but clear and sharp, 
a moaning yelp brought us suddenly to our feet. 
Three of us had never heard a wolf, but there 
was no mistaking that call; instinct seemed to 
tell us what it was. The sharp click of closing 
breeches told that guns had been loaded and 
without a word everyone tiptoed to their post. 
Five or six painfully long minutes went by in 
silence and then again, and this time much nearer 
we heard the cry. The dogs rose as one, with 
low growls, their ear pricked, their coats stand¬ 
ing. Paff snarled noisily, but Toto’s boot reached 
him in the ribs and an angry hiss of “Silenzio ! 
Perdio,” led him to crouch fearfully on the 
ground. The others seemed to understand and 
not another sound came from them. We may 
have waited twenty minutes; it seemed an eter¬ 
nity. Then an excited whisper of “There, Sig¬ 
nori, there,” from one of the boys, and we saw 
[May ii, 1907. 
crouching beneath the trees a dark shadow tha 
moved cautiouslv along. 
“Attention,” murmered Bruschi, “and remem 
ber, no move until I speak.” Then turning t 
me, “Shoot for the shoulder, boy, and keep nea 
me.” 
With straining eyes we followed the gatherin; 
shadows that skulked from tree to tree, advanc 
ing single file with a circular movement whic 
brought them nearer their victims. The shee 
bleated at first, but now seemed paralyzed wit 
fear, and just shook without attempting to movt 
The foremost wolf finally reached the road an 
paused for a second looking about, then it spran 
over the narrow ditch and stood quite still, i 
the middle of the road, not a hundred yard 
away from us. It was a huge beast, gray an 
gaunt. It flaired the air in every direction, an 
apparently satisfied, emitted a low grunt an 
sprang back into the woods. Then, guarded! 
the entire pack came forward, crouching low, bt 
making straight for the carcasses. I counte 
nine. Whether they had scented us or not 
made little difference; they came along doggedi 
and seemed to gain confidence. Hunger mu: 
have overcome caution. A few yards from tl 
first carcass the leader again paused, but othei 
brushed by boldly and pounced on the mea 
Snarling and snapping, fighting among then 
selves, and greedy of every strip torn from tl 
carcass, they gulped and choked and coughe 
growling incessantly. Suddenly one of tl 
brutes seemed to remember the living shee 
There was red blood within reach, better, riche 
than the cold carcass he was gnawing at. Wl 
should it not take it? Licking its foul cho; 
and circling warily around it made for the por 
animal. Step by step, flat on its stomach, an 
ready to spring came the savage beast. It w; 
but a few yards off now, and my gun began 
twitch in my hands. Would Toto never give tl 
signal ? 
A sharp order at my elbow made me jun 
and a shot rang out. Simultaneously the b 
wolf sprang into the air and then fell forwai 
writhing while the other five guns sent a show 
of lead into the pack. Four wolves fell, but tl 
others angrily faced the rash ones who dan 
disturb their orgy. Then with a howl they ft 
on one of the wounded and vied with each oth 
in tearing it to pieces. 
At the next volley another wolf dropped ai 
then, before we could reload, there came t 
sharp command. “Avanti, your revolvers now 
We were on the road in an instant and at 0 
appearance the four remaining wolves turn 
upon 11s savagely, strengthened by two of t 
wounded which found energy enough to ri: 
We emptied our revolvers at short range, but 
we hit we only -wounded, and the frenzied brut 
attacked without hesitation. I sprang back 
reload and as I did so Airoldi and Lucidi rush 
out. Bruschi, instead of retreating, threw aw 
his empty revolver and too excited to think 
prudence, seized his heavy gun by the barrels a 
using it as a club, brought it down with a era 
on the nearest wolf. It -was madness and cai 
near costing him his life. The pack closed 
on him, and not daring to shoot, we stood 
moment undecided while he rained blows rig 
and left. Then help came from an unexpect 
quarter. Something furry brushed by me a 
Paff, followed by his kennel mates, took p: 
in the fray. LTnmindful of orders, when tl 
saw their master in danger, the boys had 
ioose the dogs. 
Impossible to shoot now, and with guns rea< 
we anxiously watched the brave little fello 
enter the unequal contest. Their work was 
revelation. Though no match for their hr 
rivals, they went in without a word of urgii 
fighting fearlessly until done for. Paff ale 
seemed to hold his own, and no one interfer 
with the grim fight that he waged on a big wc 
For a while it was anyone’s victory and 
looked on fascinated and unable to help, but so 
we became aware that a new factor had coi 
into the case. A slim white body had crawl 
up behind the wolf and now sat crouching 1 
side it. It was plucky little Roma and she lool 
pitifully frail compared to the burly antagonhl 
but we need not have pitied her. Eagerly ? 
watched the combatants, following their ev< 
