This animal, which is called _wolverene_ in this country, and _carcajou_
by the Canadians, is about three feet long, and of a dark-brown color.
It is strong and courageous, and will even attack and destroy the fox
in its burrow. Its extraordinary voracity gives the impulse to all its
exertions. Incessantly in search of food, it kills animals larger and
stronger than itself, seizes the deer which the hunter has just shot,
plunders the baits on his traps, or the game these have taken. A proof
at once of the strength, the cunning, and the strong appetite, of the
glutton, was afforded by one, at Hudson's Bay, some years since, which
overset the greatest part of a pile of wood of great extent, which
contained a whole winter's firing; his object was to get at some
provisions that had been hidden there by the company's servants when
going to the factory to spend the Christmas holidays.
This animal had for many weeks been lurking about their tent, and had
committed many depredations on the game caught in their traps and
snares, as well as eaten many of the foxes that were killed by guns set
for the purpose; but he was too cunning to touch either gun or trap
himself. The people thought they had adopted the best method to secure
their provisions, by tying them in bundles, and laying them on the top
of wood piles. To their astonishment, when they returned, they found
the greatest part of the pile thrown down, notwithstanding some of the
trees with which it was constructed were as much as two men could
carry. The wood was very much scattered about; and it was supposed
that, in the animal's attempting to carry off the booty, some of the
small parcels of provisions had fallen down into the heart of the pile,
and sooner than lose half his prize, he was at the trouble of pulling
away the wood. The bags of flour, oatmeal, and peas, though of no use
to him, he tore all to pieces, and scattered the contents about on the
snow; but every bit of animal food, consisting of beef, pork, bacon,
venison, salted geese, and partridges, in considerable quantities, he
carried away.
When attacked by other animals, the glutton fights desperately, and
three stout dogs are scarcely its match. A man who had tamed one of
them threw it one day into the water, and set a couple of dogs upon it,
when it immediately seized one of them by the head, and held it under
water till it was drowned.