with　kindness；　must　even　go　with　pricking。
  It　was　bleak　and　bitter　cold；　and；　except　a　cavalcade　of　stride…
  legged　ladies　and　a　pair　of　post…runners；　the　road　was　dead
  solitary　all　the　way　to　Pradelles。　　I　scarce　remember　an　incident
  but　one。　　A　handsome　foal　with　a　bell　about　his　neck　came　charging
  up　to　us　upon　a　stretch　of　common；　sniffed　the　air　martially　as　one
  about　to　do　great　deeds；　and　suddenly　thinking　otherwise　in　his
  green　young　heart；　put　about　and　galloped　off　as　he　had　come；　the
  bell　tinkling　in　the　wind。　　For　a　long　while　afterwards　I　saw　his
  noble　attitude　as　he　drew　up；　and　heard　the　note　of　his　bell；　and
  when　I　struck　the　high…road；　the　song　of　the　telegraph…wires　seemed
  to　continue　the　same　music。
  Pradelles　stands　on　a　hillside；　high　above　the　Allier；　surrounded
  by　rich　meadows。　　They　were　cutting　aftermath　on　all　sides；　which
  gave　the　neighbourhood；　this　gusty　autumn　morning；　an　untimely
  smell　of　hay。　　On　the　opposite　bank　of　the　Allier　the　land　kept
  mounting　for　miles　to　the　horizon：　　a　tanned　and　sallow　autumn
  landscape；　with　black　blots　of　fir…wood　and　white　roads　wandering
  through　the　hills。　　Over　all　this　the　clouds　shed　a　uniform　and
  purplish　shadow；　sad　and　somewhat　menacing；　exaggerating　height　and
  distance；　and　throwing　into　still　higher　relief　the　twisted　ribbons
  of　the　highway。　　It　was　a　cheerless　prospect；　but　one　stimulating
  to　a　traveller。　　For　I　was　now　upon　the　limit　of　Velay；　and　all
  that　I　beheld　lay　in　another　county　…　wild　Gevaudan；　mountainous；
  uncultivated；　and　but　recently　disforested　from　terror　of　the
  wolves。
  Wolves；　alas；　like　bandits；　seem　to　flee　the　traveller's　advance；
  and　you　may　trudge　through　all　our　comfortable　Europe；　and　not　meet
  with　an　adventure　worth　the　name。　　But　here；　if　anywhere；　a　man　was
  on　the　frontiers　of　hope。　　For　this　was　the　land　of　the　ever…
  memorable　BEAST；　the　Napoleon　Bonaparte　of　wolves。　　What　a　career
  was　his！　　He　lived　ten　months　at　free　quarters　in　Gevaudan　and
  Vivarais；　he　ate　women　and　children　and　'shepherdesses　celebrated
  for　their　beauty'；　he　pursued　armed　horsemen；　he　has　been　seen　at
  broad　noonday　chasing　a　post…chaise　and　outrider　along　the　king's
  high…road；　and　chaise　and　outrider　fleeing　before　him　at　the
  gallop。　　He　was　placarded　like　a　political　offender；　and　ten
  thousand　francs　were　offered　for　his　head。　　And　yet；　when　he　was
  shot　and　sent　to　Versailles；　behold！　a　common　wolf；　and　even　small
  for　that。　　'Though　I　could　reach　from　pole　to　pole；'　sang　Alexander
  Pope；　the　Little　Corporal　shook　Europe；　and　if　all　wolves　had　been
  as　this　wolf；　they　would　have　changed　the　history　of　man。　　M。　Elie
  Berthet　has　made　him　the　hero　of　a　novel；　which　I　have　read；　and　do
  not　wish　to　read　again。
  I　hurried　over　my　lunch；　and　was　proof　against　the　landlady's
  desire　that　I　should　visit　our　Lady　of　Pradelles；　'who　performed
  many　miracles；　although　she　was　of　wood'；　and　before　three…quarters
  of　an　hour　I　was　goading　Modestine　down　the　steep　descent　that
  leads　to　Langogne　on　the　Allier。　　On　both　sides　of　the　road；　in　big
  dusty　fields；　farmers　were　preparing　for　next　spring。　　Every　fifty
  yards　a　yoke　of　great…necked　stolid　oxen　were　patiently　haling　at
  the　plough。　　I　saw　one　of　these　mild　formidable　servants　of　the
  glebe；　who　took　a　sudden　interest　in　Modestine　and　me。　　The　furrow
  down　which　he　was　journeying　lay　at　an　angle　to　the　road；　and　his
  head　was　solidly　fixed　to　the　yoke　like　those　of　caryatides　below　a
  ponderous　cornice；　but　he　screwed　round　his　big　honest　eyes　and
  followed　us　with　a　ruminating　look；　until　his　master　bade　him　turn
  the　plough　and　proceed　to　reascend　the　field。　　From　all　these
  furrowing　ploughshares；　from　the　feet　of　oxen；　from　a　labourer　here
  and　there　who　was　breaking　the　dry　clods　with　a　hoe；　the　wind
  carried　away　a　thin　dust　like　so　much　smoke。　　It　was　a　fine；　busy；
  breathing；　rustic　landscape；　and　as　I　continued　to　descend；　the
  highlands　of　Gevaudan　kept　mounting　in　front　of　me　against　the　sky。
  I　had　crossed　the　Loire　the　day　before；　now　I　was　to　cross　the
  Allier；　so　near　are　these　two　confluents　in　their　youth。　　Just　at
  the　bridge　of　Langogne；　as　the　long…promised　rain　was　beginning　to
  fall；　a　lassie　of　some　seven　or　eight　addressed　me　in　the
  sacramental　phrase；　'D'OU'ST…CE…QUE　VOUS　VENEZ？'　　She　did　it　with
  so　high　an　air　that　she　set　me　laughing；　and　this　cut　her　to　the
  quick。　　She　was　evidently　one　who　reckoned　on　respect；　and　stood
  looking　after　me　in　silent　dudgeon；　as　I　crossed　the　bridge　and
  entered　the　county　of　Gevaudan。
  UPPER　GEVAUDAN
  The　way　also　here　was　very　wearisome　through　dirt　and　slabbiness；
  nor　was　there　on　all　this　ground　so　much　as　one　inn　or　victualling…
  house　wherein　to　refresh　the　feebler　sort。
  PILGRIM'S　PROGRESS。
  A　CAMP　IN　THE　DARK
  THE　next　day　（Tuesday；　September　24th）；　it　was　two　o'clock　in　the
  afternoon　before　I　got　my　journal　written　up　and　my　knapsack
  repaired；　for　I　was　determined　to　carry　my　knapsack　in　the　future
  and　have　no　more　ado　with　baskets；　and　half　an　hour　afterwards　I
  set　out　for　Le　Cheylard　l'Eveque；　a　place　on　the　borders　of　the
  forest　of　Mercoire。　　A　man；　I　was　told；　should　walk　there　in　an
  hour　and　a　half；　and　I　thought　it　scarce　too　ambitious　to　suppose
  that　a　man　encumbered　with　a　donkey　might　cover　the　same　distance
  in　four　hours。
  All　the　way　up　the　long　hill　from　Langogne　it　rained　and　hailed
  alternately；　the　wind　kept　freshening　steadily；　although　slowly；
  plentiful　hurrying　clouds　…　some　dragging　veils　of　straight　rain…
  shower；　others　massed　and　luminous　as　though　promising　snow　…
  careered　out　of　the　north　and　followed　me　along　my　way。　　I　was　soon
  out　of　the　cultivated　basin　of　the　Allier；　and　away　from　the
  ploughing　oxen；　and　such…like　sights　of　the　country。　　Moor；
  heathery　marsh；　tracts　of　rock　and　pines；　woods　of　birch　all
  jewelled　with　the　autumn　yellow；　here　and　there　a　few　naked
  cottages　and　bleak　fields；　…　these　were　the　characters　of　the
  country。　　Hill　and　valley　followed　valley　and　hill；　the　little
  green　and　stony　cattle…tracks　wandered　in　and　out　of　one　another；
  split　into　three　or　four；　died　away　in　marshy　hollows；　and　began
  again　sporadically　on　hillsides　or　at　the　borders　of　a　wood。
  There　was　no　direct　road　to　Cheylard；　and　it　was　no　easy　affair　to
  make　a　passage　in　this　uneven　country　and　through　this　intermittent
  labyrinth　of　tracks。　　It　must　have　been　about　four　when　I　struck
  Sagnerousse；　and　went　on　my　way　rejoicing　in　a　sure　point　of
  departure。　　Two　hours　afterwards；　the　dusk　rapidly　falling；　in　a
  lull　of　the　wind；　I　issued　from　a　fir…wood　where　I　had　long　been
  wandering；　and　found；　not　the　looked…for　village；　but　another
  marish　bottom　among　rough…and…tumble　hills。　　For　some　time　past　I
  had　heard　the　ringing　of　cattle…bells　ahead；　and　now；　as　I　came　out
  of　the　skirts　of　the　wood；　I　saw　near　upon　a　dozen　cows　and　perhaps
  as　many　more　black　figures；　which　I　conjectured　to　be　children；
  although　the　mist　had　almost　unrecognisably　exaggerated　their
  forms。　　These　were　all　silently　following　each　other　round　and
  round　in　a　circle；　now　taking　hands；　now　breaking　up　with　chains
  and　reverences。　　A　dance　of　children　appeals　to　very　innocent　and
  lively　thoughts；　but；　at　nightfall　on　the　marshes；　the　thing　was
  eerie　and　fantastic　to　behold。　　Even　I；　who　am　well　enough　read　in
  Herbert　Spencer；　felt　a　sort　of　silence　fall　for　an　instant　on　my
  mind。　　The　next；　I　was　pricking　Modestine　forward；　and　guiding　her
  like　an　unruly　ship　through　the　open。　　In　a　path；　she　went　doggedly
  ahead　of　her　own　accord；　as　before　a　fair　wind；　but　once　on　the
  turf　or　among　heather；　and　the　brute　became　demented。　　The　tendency
  of　lost　travellers　to　go　round　in　a　circle　was　developed　in　her　to
  the　degree　of　passion；　and　it　took　all　the　steering　I　had　in　me　to
  keep　even　a　decently　straight　course　through　a　single　field。
  While　I　was　thus　desperately　tacking　through　the　bog；　children　and
  cattle　began　to　disperse；　until　only　a　pair　of　girls　remained
  behind。　　From　these　I　sought　direction　on　my　path。　　The　peasantry
  in　general　were　but　little　disposed　to　counsel　a　wayfarer。　　One　old
  devil　simply　retired　into　his　house；　and　barricaded　the　door　on　my
  approach；　and　I　might　beat　and　shout　myself　hoarse；　he　turned　a
  deaf　ear。　　Another；　having　given　me　a　direction　which；　as　I　found
  afterwards；　I　had　misunderstood；　complacently　watched　me　going
  wrong　without　adding　a　sign。　　He　did　not　care　a　stalk　of　parsley　if
  I　wandered　all　night　upon　the　hills！　　As　for　these　two　girls；　they
  were　a　pair　of　impudent　sly　sluts；　with　not　a　thought　but　mischief。
  One　put　out　her　tongue　at　me；　the　other　bade　me　follow　the　cows；
  and　they　both　giggled　and　jogged　each　other's　elbows。　　The　Beast　of
  Gevaudan　ate　about　a　hundred　childre