The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-03-02
THE GRAY WOLF.

Here Is what was recounted to ms by
the old Marquis d'Arville after dinner
at the house of the Baron des Ravels,
Saint Hubert.
We had started stag during the day.
The marquis was the only one of the
guests who had not taken part in the,
pursuit. He never INDUCED in he-chase.
During the entire time Of the repast we
had talked of little else than the massa-
Gre Of animals. Even the women inter
ested themselves in the sanguinary and
often incredible tales, and the speakers
mimicked the attacks and the combats
between men and beasts, gesticulating
with their arms and conversing in ex-
cited tones
M. d'Arville spoke wen, with GER
tain air Of poetry, trifie sonorous, but
full of effect He had often repeated
this history, therefore he spoke fiuently,
not hesitating to find choice words IN
which to depict his images.
"Messieurs,r he said, II have never
hunted, nor did my father, my grand
father or my great-grandfather. This
last was the son of a man who hunted
more than all Of you. He died in 1894.
will tell You how.
"He was named Jean, was married
and was the father Of this child, who
was my great-grandfather. and he lived
with his younger brother, Francois
d'Arville, in our chateau in the midst Of
a forest in Lorraine. Francois d'Ar-
vile had remained bachelor through
- 41.nn Oh k,.,. Al
from one years end to the other, with
out repose, without stop, without lassi-
fude. They loved nothing else, under
stood nothing else, talked of nothing
else, lived for nothing else than the
chase. This terrible, memorable passion
possessed them to the heart, had invaded
them entirely, leaving no place for any
thing else.
"They had prohibited any one from
interrupting them during the chase
for any purpose whatever. Ny great
grandfather was born while his father
was following fox, and Jean d'Arville,
instead Of interrupting the run, swore,
In the name of the saints, the rascal
might better have waited until after the
hunt!'
"His brother Francois was even more
carried away by this passion, than him
self, From the time he arose in the
morning he went to see the dogs, then
the horses. then the shot birds in the inn
mediate vicinity Of the chateau, up to the
time Of leaving to start some larger
game. They were known throughout
the neighboring country as M. le Mar
quis and NJ. lie Cadet, the mobiles Of that
day not endeavoring like those Of our
own time toestablish descending hier-
archy in titles; because the son Of mar
Quis is no more count, nor the son Of Il
yiscount baron than the son of gem
eral is colonel by birth; but the shah
by vanity of our day finds profit in this
arrangement. return to my ancestors
They were, II appears, huge, long.
hairy, violent and vigorous. The young
er. even taller than the elder, had
voice so strong that, according to q
legend Of which he was the hero, all the
leaves of the forest trembled when he
shouted, And when they leaped into
the saddle to depart for the chase it was
q superb spectacle to see these two
giants bestriding their great horses.
= s'Now, toward the depth of the win
ter Of this year, 1764, the cold was excess
give and the wolves became ferocious.
They attacked the belated country PEG.
pie, wandered around the houses at
night, bowling from the setting to the
rising of the sun, and depopulating the
stables.
.tAnd soon a weird rumor circulated.
They talked Of colossal wolf, with
gray hair, almost white, who had eaten
two children, devoured a womans arm,
strangled all the watchdogs of the
country, and who penetrated without
fear into the Enclosures to sniff under
the doors. All the inhabitants declared
that they had heard his shuttle, and that
it had made the flames of the lamps
flicker. And soon a panic ran through
all the province. Nobody dared go ont
after nightfall. The darkness seemed
to be haunted by images of the beast
"The d'Arville brothers resolved t.
find this animal and kill it, and they ac-
cordingly summoned all the gentlemen
of the country to grand chase. It~was
in vain. They hunted the forest over
and searched the thicl,cts, but did not
encounter it. They killed plenty of
wolves, but not this one And each
night, after the chase, the animal, as
though to ayenge itself. attacked some
traveller or devoured some cattle, always
far from the place where they had been
searching for it. At last one night it
penetrated the pig stable of the Chateau
dArville and ate the two finest porkers.
The two brothers were infamed with
anger, considering this attack as a bra
vado from the monster, direct injury, a
defiance. They took all their strong
bloodhounds, accustomed to the pursuit
or redonbtable beasts, and entered the
chase, their hearts provoked to fury.
From dawn until the hour when til"
purple sun descended behind the great.
bare trees, they beat the thickets with
out finding anything. Finally, both
furious and desolate, and astonished that
all their skill had heens ha fflad ~ this