On the rugged New World frontier, settlers soon found that the native canine, the wolf, was much better suited to the harsh conditions than some of the favorite breeds brought from Europe. Their experiments in crossbreeding resulted in pups that retained many of the wolf's characteristics and made hearty companions. One day while out hunting, William Stark encountered one of these wolf/dogs being beaten by a French officer. Stark fought with the Frenchman and killed him. Stark and the wolf/dog, which he later named Sergeant Beaubien, went on to share many more hunting ventures, as well as years of service together for Rogers Rangers.