Wolves are abundant in the valley of the Yenesei, though they are not generally dangerous to men.  An officer whom I met there told me they were less troublesome than in Poland, and he related his experience with them in the latter country while on a visit to the family of a young lady to whom he was betrothed.  I give his story as nearly as possible in his own words.

“One day my friend Rasloff proposed a wolf hunt.  We selected the best horses from his stable; fine, quick, surefooted beasts, with a driver who was unsurpassed in all that region for his skill and dash.  The sleigh was a large one, and we fitted it with a good supply of robes and straw, and put a healthy young pig in it to serve as a decoy.  We each had a gun, and carried a couple of spare guns, with plenty of ammunition, so that we could kill as many wolves as presented themselves.

“Just as we were preparing to start, Christina asked to accompany us.  I suggested the coldness of the night, and Rasloff hinted that the sleigh was too small for three.  But Christina protested that the air, though sharp, was clear and still, and she could wrap herself warmly; a ride of a few hours would do her more good than harm.  The sleigh, she insisted, was a large one, and afforded ample room.  ‘Besides,’ she added, ’I will sit directly behind the driver, and out of your way, and I want to see a wolf-hunt very much indeed.’

“So we consented.  Christina arrayed herself in a few moments, and we started on our excursion.

“The servants were instructed to hang out a light in front of the entrance to the courtyard.  It was about sunset when we left the chateau and drove out upon the plain, covered here and there with patches of forest.  The road we followed was well trodden by the many peasants on their way to the fair at the town, twenty-five miles away.  We traveled slowly, not wishing to tire our horses, and, as we left the half dozen villages that clustered around the chateau, we had the road entirely to ourselves.  The moon rose soon after sunset, and as it was at the full, it lighted up the plain very clearly, and seemed to stand out quite distinct from the deep blue sky and the bright stars that sparkled everywhere above the horizon.  We chatted gayly as we rode along.  The time passed so rapidly that I was half surprised, when Rasloff told me to get ready to hunt wolves.

“The pig had been lying very comfortably in the bottom, of the sleigh, and protested quite loudly as we brought him out.  The rope had been made ready before we started from home, and so the most we had to do was to turn the horses around, get our guns ready, and throw the pig upon the ground.  He set up a piercing shriek as the rope dragged him along, and completely drowned our voices.  Paul had hard work to keep the horses from breaking into a run, but he succeeded, and we maintained a very slow trot.  Christina nestled in the place she had agreed to occupy, and Rasloff and I prepared to shoot the wolves.