Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-06-23
CHAPTER XI.

GALAZI BECOMES KING OF THE WOLVES.
On the morrow Umslopogaas awolle,
and all that day rested in the cave,
while Galazi went out to hunt In the
evening Galezi returned, bearing a buck
upon his shoulders, and they skinned
the buck and ate Of it as they sat by the
fire. And when the sun was down
Galazi took up his tale:
Now, Umslopogaas, son of Mopo,
hear! had passed the forest, and had
come, as it were, to the legs of the old
Stone Witch. Here the sun shone mer-
rily, and though it grow toward the
evening | was afraid no more. So l
climbed up the steep rock till | came to
the knees Of the Stone Witch, which are
the space before the cave. | lifted my
head over the brink of the rock and
looked. and my blood ran cold and nv
heart turned to water, for there. before
the cave, rolled wolves many and great.
Some slept and growled III their sleep;
some gnawcd at the skulls Of dead game;
some sat up like dogs, and their tongues
hung from their grinning jaws. look
ed, | saw, and beyond | discovered the
mouth of the cave, where the bones of
the boy should be.
But | had no wish to come there, who
was afraid of the wolves. for now |
knew that these were the ghosts who
live upon the mountain. So betboupht
me that would fly, and turned to GO
And even as | turned the great club
Watcher OF tile Fords swung around and
smote me on the back. Now whether
this was by chance or whether the
Watcher would shame him who bore it
donot know. swung up the Watch
er, and crying aloud the war CRY Of the
HaiakGzi sprang over the brink of the
rock and rushed upon the wolves. They.
too, sprang up and stood bowling, with
bristling hides and fiery eyes. Yet when
they saw it was a man that rushed upon
them they fled this way and that, leap
ing with great bounds from the place of
rock, which is the knees of the Stone
Witch, so that presently stood alone in
front of the cave. Now ! walked to the
mouth of the cave proudly and looked
IN through the opening. AS it CHANGED
the sinking sun shone at this hour full
INTO the cave, so that | could see the end,
Look now. There is a hole in tho
wall OF the cave, whore the freight falls
below the shadow Of the roof, twice the
height Of man from the floor. 1t is a
narrow hole and high, and a man
might sit Ill it, his legs hanging toward
the floor OF the cave. And there man
sat-or that which had been a man
and the black skin had withered on his
bones, holding them together and MAX
ing him awful to zee. His hands We're
open beside him; lie leaned upon them.
and III the right hand was piece OF
hide from his meocha. 1t WAS half
eaten. his eyes We're also bound around
with band Of Leather, Us though to
hide something from their gaze; one
9oot was gone, one hung over the edge
Of the niche toward the floor and be-
meath it, On the floor, lay the blade of q
broken spear.
Now come hither; place your hand
upon tho wall Of the cave, Just here; it is
smooth-smooth as the stones on which
wo,nen grind their corn. What made
II so smooth you ask. will tell you.
When peered through the door of
the cave saw this: On the floor of tho
cave tay a she wolf, very great and
herce Near to her was another wolf
ne was dog-on his feet. As watched
Ae drew back near 20 the mouth of the
cave; then Of n sudden lie ran forward
and bounded high into the air toward
The withered foot of that which hung
from the cleft Of the rock. His DAVIS
struck upon the rock here where it is
smooth, and there for a second he
seemed to cling, while his great laws
closed with a clash but a spears breadth
beneath the dead mans foot Then he
tell back and drew slowly down the
cave. Again he ran and leaped, again
9iie great jaws closed, again he fell
down, howling. Then tue she wolf
arose, and they sprang together, striving
70 pull him down who sat above. But
1t was all in vain; they could never
some nearer than within a spears
breadth of the dead mans foot. And
now you know why the rock is smooth
and shines. Night upon night they had
5eaped thus against the wall of the cave
but never might their clashing jaws
close upon his foot One foot they had
indeed, but the other they might not
come by.