ther on, in a
hilly country timbered with spruce, where there was not much
undergrowth, we came to marten traps. In swampy places, or where there
were creeks and small lakes, we examined traps and deadfalls set for
mink, muskrat, beaver, fisher, and otter. Where the country was fairly
open and marked with rabbit runways we came upon traps set for foxes
and wolves.

The gray, or timber, wolf is trapped in the same way as the coloured
fox, save only that the trap is larger. Though the steel trap is much
in vogue among white men and half-breeds, the deadfall, even to this
day, is much preferred by the Indian. Though, in the first place, it
requires more labour to build, yet it requires less for transportation
since the materials are all at hand; and, besides, when once built it
lasts for years. Then, again, it is not only cheaper, but it is more
deadly than the steel trap, for once the animal is caught, it seldom
escapes. With the steel trap it is different, as animals often pull
away from the steel jaws or even gnaw off a foot in order to get free.
If, however, the hunter's deadfalls and traps have been set in vain,
and if the wolf has been causing trouble and the hunter is determined
to secure him, he will sit up for him at night in the hope of getting a
shot at him. Years ago many wolves were destroyed with poison, but
nowadays it has gone out of use--that is, among the fur-hunters of the
forest.

When a wolf is caught in a trap and he sees a hunter approaching, he
will at first lie down, close his eyes, and keep as still as possible
to escape notice; but should he find that the hunter is still coming
on, say to within twenty paces from him, he will fly into a rage, show
his fangs, bristle his hair, and get ready for a spring. The hunter
usually takes a green stick about a yard long by two inches thick, and
instead of striking a great, swinging blow with both hands, he holds
the stick in one hand and strikes a short, quick, though powerful,
blow, hitting the brute on the snout close to the eyes. That stuns
him, and then the hunter, with either foot or knee, presses over the
heart until death ensues. But clubbing the wolf is dangerous work, for
the hunter may hit the trap and set the captive free, or it may bite
him. So the gun is frequently used, but only to shoot the wolf in the
head, as a wound anywhere else would injure the fur.

Late in the afternoon, as we were approaching a wolf trap, Oo-koo-hoo,
wh