Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-11-09
CHAPTER XIV. (Continued.)

For few seconds he forgot Gray
Wolf. The husky had slipped back
like shadow and now he stood again
over Gray Wolf, shifting her neck and
body. Then he whined In that whine
we're the passion, invitation, the de-
mand of the Wild So quickly that the
eye could scarcely follow her move
ment faithful Gray Wolf sank her
cleaning fangs in the husky's shout
der.
A gray streak nothing more tan
gible than a streak of gray, silent and
terrible, shot through the dawn gloom.
It was Kazan He came without
snarl, without cry, and in moment
he and the husky were in the throes
Of terrific battle.
The four other huskies ran in quick
ly and stood waiting dozen PAGES
from the combatants. Gray Wolf lay
crouched on her belly. The giant
husky and the quarter strain wolf dog
were not fighting like sledge dog or
wolf. For few moments rage ana
hatred made them fight like mongrels.
Both had holds. Now one was down.
and now the other, and SO swiftly did
thew change their positions that the
waiting sledge dogs were puzzled and
stood motionless. Under other condl-
tions thew would have leaped upon the
first of the fighters to be thrown upon
his back and torn him to pieces. That
was the way of the wolf and the VOL
dog. But now they stood back, hest
tating and fearful
The big husky had never been beat
noyo
had given him huge bulk and Jaw
that could crush an ordinary dogs
head. But In Kazan he was meeting
not only the dog and the wolf. but all
that was best in the two. And Kazan
had the advantage Of a few hours or
rest and a full -tomach.. More than
that. he was fighting for Gray Wolf
His fangs had sunk deep in the huskys
shoulder, and the husky's long teeth
met through the hid and flesh OF MS
neck. An inch deeper and they would
have pierced his iugular. Kazan knew
this, as he crunched his enemys shout
der bone. and every instant = even In
their fercest struggling - he was
guarding against a second and more
successful lunge Of those powerful
Jaws.
AT last the lunge came, and quicker
than the wolf itself Kazan freed him,
self and leaped back. His chest drip
ped blood, but he did not feel the hurt
They began slowly to circle, and now
the watching sledge dogs drew a step
or two nearer, and their jaws drooled
nervouslv and their red eyes glared as
they waited for the fatal moment.
Their eyes were on the big husky. He
became the pivot of Kazans wider
circle now. and he 1imped as he turned.
His shoulder was broken: His, ears
were flattened as he watched kazan.
Kazan's ears were erect. and his
feet touched the snow Gghtly. All his
fighting cleverness and all his caution
had returned to him. The blind rage
of few moments was gone and he
fought now as he had fought his dead
lest enemy. the long claWed lynx. Five
times he circled around the husky,
and then like shot he was in, sending
his whole weight against the husky's
shoulder, with the momentum of a ten
foot leap behind 1t. This time he did
not try for a hold, but slashed at the
husky's laws 1t was the deadliest of
all attacks when that merciless trib-
unal Of death stood waiting for the
first fall of the vanquished. !. The huge
dog was thrown from his feet. For a
fatal moment he rolled upon his side
and in the moment his four sledge
mates were upon him. All Of their
hatred of the weeks and months in
which the long fanged leader had bull
lied them in the traces was concentrat-
ed upon him now and he was literally
torn into pieces.
Kazan pranced to Gray VOLTS side
and with joyful whine she laid her