Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-10-25
WOLVES AND DOGS.

How is it that the wolf Of Russia is SO
man race than his French or German broth
err? Writers and novelists of all ages have
accused this ubiquitous quadruped of treach-
cry, stealthiness and ferocity, until children,
who take their impressions from books and
not from experience, have come to regard
him as the incarnation Of all that is mean,
blood-thirsty, tricky, and very dangerous.
"Truth compes me, however," says Lieu
tenant Colonel Richard Irving Dodge, OF
the United States Army, "to affirm that of
all the carnivorOus animals of equal size and
strength he is the most harmless to beast
and the least dangerous to man. He will
not even attack when wounded, and though
he will snap at pursuing dogs in selt-de-
fense, he never follows up the advantage
given him by his sharp teeth and powerful
jaws, but takes to flight as fast as he cam"
of the American plains, tall, gaunt, lean
and hungry looking, may with with equal
truth be applied to his congener in Brittany
and PoitOu. In the former province wolves
are rarely seen, although they commit terri
BILE nocturnal depredations among sheep,
calves, and dogs. Such, however, is their
cowardice, that every Breton farmer is IN
the habit Of sending his flock Of sheep out
to pasture during the day with a little child,
often girl not more than or I years of
age, in charge of them, and nothing is more
uncommon than for the hungry marauder,
who lies licking his chops on the edge OF the
adjoining thcket, to issue forth from his
fastness and pOunce upon sheep so long as
the infantile representative OF the lord OF
creation is close at hand. At night, hOwev-
| bn ic walls
and scratch his way through the thatched
roof of the sheepfold to get at his prey.
Strange as it may seem, the dog-especially
if he be of the smooth-haired breed, like the
pointer or fox terrier-has more attractions
for the "canis lupus" whose relative or de-
scendant he is generally believed to be, than
the woolly sheep. "When wolf is hnn-
gry," writes an English gentleman who has
long resided in Brittany, "and smells an
appetizing dog, he will spring upon him and
carry him off, even under the nose OF his
master. 1t is certain, in fact, that the wolf
prefers a dog to any other prey. When /
was at Huelgoet three years since wolf
jumped over the wall Of the hotel yard and
carried off dog whose epiteous howls awoke
the entire village. An empty collar, sus-
pended at the end Of the chain, and covered
with blood, bore testimony to the untimely
fate of it's late wearer." The lively author
of "Wolf-hunting in Brittany" relates that a
| Breton peasant named Antoine lived some
wears since with his wife in the Forest OF
Dualt of "Black Rock" a heavy snow
storm had fallen on the mountains, and for
several nights in succession Antoine found
it necessary to protect his three sheep by
admitting them to his hut. Six or seven
wolves paced around his dwelling all night
uttering the most dismal howls, but large
| wood-fire and the presence Of man kept off
the famished besiegers. At last the peasant
and his wife fell asleep and the fire burnt
low A sudden dash was made at the roof,
and five gaunt wolves leaped down into the
hut. Before Antoine could strike light
the three sheep were devoured and favor
| ite little dog was swallowed at gulp, and
then the invaders sprang upon al ola oaken
cupboard and disappeared through the roof.