ird of the whole length.

The habits of the American wolf are pretty much like those of his
European cousin. He is a beast of prey, devouring all the smaller
animals he can lay hold of. He pursues and overtakes the deer, and
often runs down the fox and makes a meal of it. He will kill and eat
Indian dogs, although these are so near his own species that the one is
often taken for the other. But this is not all, for he will even eat
his own kind, on a pinch. He is as cunning as the fox himself, and as
cowardly; but at times, when impelled by hunger, he becomes bolder, and
has been known to attack man. Instances of this kind, however, are
rare.

The American wolves burrow, and, like the fox, have several entrances to
their holes. A litter of young wolves numbers five puppies, but as many
as eight are often produced at one birth.

During their journey through the Barren Grounds our voyageurs had
frequently observed wolves. They were mostly grey ones, and of great
size, for they were travelling through a district where the very largest
kind is found. At times they saw a party of five or six together; and
these appeared to be following upon their trail--as each night, when
they came barking about the camp, our travellers recognised some of them
as having been seen before. They had made no attempt to shoot any of
them--partly because they did not want either their skins or flesh, and
partly because their ammunition had been reduced to a small quantity,
and they did not wish to spend it unnecessarily. The wolves, therefore,
were allowed to approach very near the camp, and howl as much as they
liked--which they usually did throughout the livelong night. What they
found to allure them after our travellers, the latter could not make
out; as they had not shot an animal of any kind since leaving the lake,
and scarcely a scrap of anything was ever left behind them. Perhaps the
wolves were _living upon hope_.

One evening our travellers had made their camp on the side of a ridge--
which they had just crossed--and under the shelter of some rough rocks.
There was no wood in the neighbourhood wherewith to make a fire; but
they had scraped the snow from the place over which their tent was
pitched, and under it their skins were spread upon the ground. As the
tent was a very small one, Marengo's sledge, with the utensils and
pemmican bags, was always left outside close by the opening. Marengo
himself slept there, and that