University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-08-18
SYNOPSIS

SYNOPSIS
Kazan-three quarters dog, one quarter
VOLTS a giant and fearless team-leader
of the Northern wilds. who has saved MS
master, Thorpe, from death ana VINO has
been taken by this same master back 10
civilization when Thorpe returns to claim
his wife. Isobel Kazan. who has suffered
no man TO touch him with naked hands,
surprises Thorpe by displaying great
affection and loyalty for Isobel.
Having returned to the North. Thorpe
and Isobel prepare for cross-country
trip to the scene of Thorpes railroad
work, taking KaZan with them as the
leader Of their team. McCready. the guide.
joins them for the trip and. with hatred,
recognizes Kazan, who In return hercely
manifests his distrust and memory OF Nc
Cready. Mistaking Kazan's leap at Me-
Cready as an attack on isobel, Thorpe
beats the dog numerically. Isobel inter-
That night McCready murderously as
saults Thorpe. Responding to the cries
of his mistress, Kazan breaks the rope
that holds him and kills McCready. Fear
ing a beating, he disappears into the
woods.
Having definitely abandoned life with
the humans. Kazan shows some diffidence
about joining the packs of wolves that
roam the country nightly, hunting. Final
challenged by the leader of the pack. They
engage in fight to the death.
Having killed the leader of the pack,
KaZan is followed by Little Gray Wolf,
and. with her. reenters the forest. Later,
Little Gray Wolf is wounded by a bullet
and Kazan, seeking vengeance, leads a
pack Of wolves to attack lone sledge.
driven by Pierre Radisson. In the attack,
kaZan discovers that the load on the
sledge is woman, Joan, and her baby.
In a flash he turned. He snapped
at Gray VOLTS flank. and she drop
ped away with startled yelp. 1t had
all happened in a moment, but the
man was almost down. Kazan leaped
under his clubbed rifle and drove in
to the face of what was left of the
pack. His fangs cut like knives. II
he had fought like a demon against
the dogs, he fought like ten demons
now, and the man-bleeding and
ready to staggered back to the
sledge. marveling at what was hap
pening For in Gray Wolf there was
now the instinct of matehood, and
seeing Kazan tearing and fighting the
pack she joined him in the struggle
which she could not understand.
= When it was over, Kazan and Gray
Wolf were alone out on the plain. The
pack had skunk away into the night,
and the same moon and stars that had
given to KaZan the first knowledge
of his birthright told him now that
no longer would those wild brothers
of the plains respond to his call when
he howled into the sky.
He was hurt. And Gray Wolf was
hurt, but not so badly as Kazan. He
was torn and bleeding. One of his
legs was terribly bitten. After time
he saw fire in the edge of the forest.
The old call was strong upon him.
He wanted to crawl in to it, and feel
the girls hand on his head, as he
had felt that other hand in the world
beyond the ridge. He would have
gone-and would have urged Gray
Wolf to go with him-but the man
was there. He whined. and Gray
Wolf thrust her warm muzzle against
his neck. Something told them both
that they were outcasts, that the
plains, and the moon, and the stars
were against them now, and they
skunk into the shelter and the gloom
of the forest.
Kazan could not go far. He could
still smell the camp when he lay
down. Gray Wolf snuggled close to
him. Gently she sOothed with her soft
tongue Kazan's bleeding wounds. And
Kazan, lifted his head, whined softly
to the stars.