The Philipsburg mail., 1900-10-26
THE WOLF CHILDREN.
HUMAN BEINGS CARED FOR BY
ANIMALS.
Look, Act and Eat Like the Beasts " ith
Whom They Have Been-An Attempt
to Civilizs Them Have Been I'm
successful.

Wdy seem, the wolf is regarded in some
parts of India with peculiar supersti-
tlous reverence, which makes the she'd
ding OF his blood sometimes iniquitous.
AS consequence the wolves are bold
and numerous, especially in the dis
trlcts where there is little or no Euro
pean influence. Children, also are nu-
merous, and the wolves, having no
scruples about the sacredness of life,
nave on countless occasions not only
ra1ded the village sheepfolds, but have
carried off children. The vast ma
Jority OF the latter have been devoured,
put mere and there a poor victim, by
the agency of some occult influence,
has been reserved for fate worse than
death. In 1852 what was probably the
nrst clrcumstantial and authoritative
account of the "wolf-children" of India
was published by Colonel Sleeman, a
British officer especially distinguished
for the leading part he took in putting
down the thugs and dacoits. Accord
ing to this authority, the first authen-
TIC case of wolf acting as foster par
ent to human child was discovered
accidentally by trooper who was rid
ing along the banks of River Goometee
In northern India. AS the ravines in
that region were all infested by wolves
the soldier was not surprised at seeing
a she wolf accompanied by three cubs
come out of a covert and go down the
river to drink. What surprised him
very much, however, was the presence
OF another creature which had the ap-
pearance of little boy, but was evil
IDENTIFY on the friendliest terms with it's
brute companions and was treated ap-
parently just "like one of the family"
The creature went on all fours and
drank from the stream like the others.
The trooper tried, though unsuccessful
1y, to intercept the phenomenon before
1t escaped with the wolves into their
den. He secured the help of some ma
tives and dug several feet until the lair
was almost reached. The wolf family
made bolt into the open and it was
only after stiff chase and something
of fight that the "wolf-boy' was cap
tured. He seemed to be between and
years of age.
"They took the hoy to the village,
said Col. Sleeman, "but had to tie him,
Tor he was very restive and struggled
hard to rush into every hole or den
they came near. They tried to make
him speak, but could get nothing from
him but an angry growl or snarl. He
was kept for several days at the village
and large crowd assembled every day
to see him. When a grown person
came near him he became alarmed and
tried to steal away, but when child
came near he rushed at it with fierce
snarl, like that Of a dog, and tried to
bite it,"
For about three years this being liv-
ed in charge of British officers SER
wants. During all that time, in every
instinct and habit, he remained a wild
animal. He was inoffensive except
when teased and could never be induced
to wear any kind of clothing, even in
the coldest weather. Very rarely was
he known to walk in a semi-upright
position, but he always ran to his food
on all fours. Raw meat he devoured
greedily and would often take as much
as half lamb at one meal. He was
very fond of uncooked bones, which
he used to crunch and gnaw like
dog, holding them on the ground under
his hands just as dog uses his fore
paws. He would growl angrily if hui
man being came near him while he was
eating, but seemed to have no objec-
tion to dog or jackal; in fact, he
would sometimes share his meal with
such. He was never known to laugh
or even smile, and once only was he
known to speak. This was just be-
fore his death. He put his hands up
to his head, complained that it ached
and asked for drink of water. He
drank the water and expired almost
Immediately afterward. Another
"wolf-boy" had been carried off from
a field where he had been placed while
his father and mother were at work.
He was then about years old. Moth
ing was heard of him for six years.
His mother was by that time widow.
She happened to hear of "wild-boy"
who had been captured at place
several miles away while entering a
den in company with wolves. Curiosi-
ty drew her from her native village to
visit the place where the boy was kept.
She recognized him by some indubit-
able birth marks as her lost son and
took him home with her. She found
him quite irreclaimable, however, and
after a few months abandoned him to
the public charity of the village.
He was fed on hares, birds, etc. A
favorite amusement of the village boys
was to throw live frogs at him and
watch how greedily he would devour
them. Whenever a bullock died and
was skinned he gorged himself on the
carcass in company with the dogs. Dur
ing the day he hung about the village
for the sake of what he could get to
eat, but every evening he went off to
the jungle and stayed there all night.
In the year 1850, while he was being