The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-08-09
CHAPTER XI.

oALAZI BECOMES KING OF TIE WOLVES.
On the morrow UmslopogaAs awoke,
and all that day rested in the cave,
while Galaki went out to hunt. In the
evening Galazi returned, bearing 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
tislazi took up his tale:
Now. UInslopogsas. son of Mopo,
! hear! had passed the forest. and had
come, as 1t We're, TO the legs of the old
Stone Witch. Here the sun shone mer-
riIy, and though it grew toward the
evening | was afraid no more. So
climbed up tie steep rock till l came to
the knees of the Stone Witch, which are
the space before the cave. l lifted my
head over the brink of the rock and
looked. and my blood ran cold and my
heart turned to water, for there, before
the cave. rolled wolves many and great
Some slept and growled in their sleep;
some gnawed at the skulls Of dead game;
some sat mp like dogs. and their tongues
bung from their grinning jaws. look
ed. / saw. and beyond l 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 bethought
me that would fly. and turned TO go.
And even as / turned the great club
Watcher of the FoTds swung around and
smote me on the back. Now whether
this was by chance or whether the
Watcher would shame him who bore it
do not know. l swung up the Watch
er. and crying aloud the war cry Of the
HaIakazi l spra1g over the brink Of the
rock and rushed upon the wolves They,
too. sprang up and stood bowling, with
bristiing hides and fiery eyes. Yet when
they saw it was u man that rushed apOn
them they fed 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 l 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 the
wall of the cave, where the freight falls
below the shadow of the roof, twice the
height of q man from the floor. 1t is a
narrow hole and high, and man
might sit in it, his legs hanging toward
the floor of tho cave. And there man
sat-or that which had been a man
and the black skin had witheEed on his
bones. holding them together and max
ing him awful to see. His hands were
open beside him; he leaned upon them,
and in the right hand was a piece of
hide from his mocha. 1t was half
eaten. His eyes were also bound around
with q band Of leather, as though to
hide something from their gaze; one
foot was gone. one hung over the edge
of the niche toward the floor, and be
meath it, on the floor, lay the blade of a
broken spear.
Now come hither; place your hand
upon the wall Of the cave, Just here; it is
| sInooth-smooth as the stones on which
women grind their corn. What made
IT so SMOOTH you ask. will tell you.
When peered through the door of
the cave l saw this: On the floor of the
cave lay a she wolf, very great and
fierce. Near to her was another wolf
ne was IL dog-On his feet. As watched
he drew back near to the mouth of the
cave: then of sudden he ran forward
and bounded high into the air toward
the withered foot of that which hung
from the cleft of the rock. His paws
struck upon the rock here where it Is
smooth. and there for a second he
seemed TO cling. while his great jaws
closed with a clash but u spears breadth
! beneath the dead mans foot. Then he
fell back and drew slowly down the
cave Again he ran and leaped, again
the great Jaws closed. again he fell
down, bowling. Then the she wolf
arose, and they spraDg together, striving
to pull him down who sat above. But
It was all in vain: they could never
come nearer than within a spears
breadth of the dead mans foot And
DOW you know why the rock Is smooth
and shines Night upon night they had
leaped 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.
Now as | watched. filled with fear
and wonder, the she wolf, her tongue
iolling from her jaws. made 50 mighty "A
bound that she almost reached the hang
ing foot, and yet not quite. She fell
back, and then saw that the leap was
her last for that time. Tor she had over
sprung herself, and lay there bowling,
the black blood flowing from her mouth
The wolf saw alsos he drew near, shifted
at her, then, knowing that she was hurt
seized her by the throat and worried
heS The she wolf grew faint, for the
white fangs of her mote We're buried III
her throat. Then | saw that now was
the time to sInite him. lest when he had
killed her be should xiii Hle also. So
lifted the Watcher and sprang into the
-spe, having 1t in my mind to shay the
wolf before he lifted up his head. But
he heard my footsteps. OF perhaps my
shadow fell upon him Loosing his
grip he hooked up; then, making no
sound, he sprang straight at my throat.
I s1note him with all my strength. The