Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-12-22
THE GRAY WOLF.

st the house Of the Baron des Ravels,
Saint Hubert.
We had started q 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 the chase.
During the entire time Of the repast we
had talked Of little else than the massa-
ere Of animals. Even the women inter
ested themselves in the sanguinary and |
often Incredible tales, and the speakers
mimicked the attacks and the conbats
between men and beasts, gesticulating
with their arms and conversing in ex-
cited tones.
M. dArville spoke well. with GER
tain air Of poetry, trife 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," he said, Il have never
hunted, nor did my father, my grand
father or my great-grandfather. This
last was the son Of man who hunted
more than all Of You. He died in 1854
| 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 OAR
vile had remained a bachelor through
love of the chase. These two hunted
from one years end to the other. with
out repose, without stop, without lassi-
tude. They loved nothing else, under
stood nothing else, talked of nothing
else, lived for nothing else than the
chase. This terrible, inexorable 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. My 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
huntr
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 i'm
mediate vicinity of the chateau, up to the
| time Of leaving to start some larger
| game. They were known throughout
the neighboring country as NJ. lie Mar
quis and NJ. lie Cadet, the mobiles of that
day not endeavoring like those of our
own time TO establish descending hier
archy in titles: because the son of mar
| quis is no more a count, nor the son of &
viscount baron than the son of a gen
eral is colonel by birth; but the shah
by vanity Of our day finds profit in thi,
arrangement. return to my ancestors
''They were, it appears, huge, long
hairy, violent and vigorous. The young
er. even taller than the elder, had ;
voice so strong that, according to ;
legend of which he was the hero, all thu
leaves of the forest trembled when h
shouted. And when they leaped int
the saddle to depart for the chase it wa
a superb spectacle to see these tw'
giants bestriding their great horses
"Now, toward the depth of the win
ter of this year, 1884, the cold was exces
sive and the wolves became ferocious
They attacked the belated country peo
pie, wandered around the houses a
night, bowling from the setting to tn
rising of the sun, and depopulating tn
stables.
"And soon a weird rumor circulated
They talked of colossal WOLF, wit
gray hair, almost white, who had eatel
two children, devoured q woman's arm
strangled all the watchdogs of III
country, and who penetrated withou
fear into the Enclosures to sniff unde
the doors. All the inhabitants declare
that they had heard his shuttle, and tina
it had made the flames of the lamp
! flicker. And soon panic ran throug
all the province. Nobody dared go OF
e after nightfall. The darkness SCENE
to be haunted by images of the beast.
! THE d'Arville brothers resolved
l find this animal and kill it. and they al
cordingly summoned all the gentleme
of the country to grand chase. 1t Wa
in vain. They hunted the forest owe
and searched the thickets, but did M
: encounter it. They killed plenty {
. wolves, but not this one. And eac
. night, after the chase. the animal,
: though to avenge itself, attacked son
t traveller or devoured some cattle, alwa,
}. far from the place where they had bee
o searching for it. At last one night
:, penetrated the pig stable of the Chatea
d'Arville and ate the two finest porker
; The two brothers were infiamed vii
= anger, considering this attack as br
n vado from the monster. a direct injury
% defiance. They took all their stror
@ bloodhounds, accustomed to the pursu
S of redoubtable beasts. and entered tt
% chase, their hearts provoked to fury.
&c From dawn until the hour when Il
! purple sun descended behind the Srea
= bare trees, they beat the thickets wit
n. out finding anything. Finally, DO
n. furious and desolate, and astonished til
6 all their skill had been baftied by I'll
lie wolf, they were walking their hors
is along a path bordered by bushes. VIII
they were suddenly seized by sort
~ ~ mysterious fear.
IN "'This beast 10 not an ordinary on
. said the oldest. One would almost s.
W that he had human attributes
w "'We should have ball blessed
o our cousin, the bishop said the young'
a or have some priest pronounce the nec'
sary words He ceased speaking.
".See how red the sun is repli
Jean. The big wolf will do sol
of wickedness this night
IT. He had hardly spoken these wor
lg vhen his horse reared; that OF Franco