University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-08-12
The NeaC "CaH of the Wil6'
K A 4 A N
By lanes Oliver Cny7Oood
a Coopig 1914 The Merrill COMPANY zzzzzzzzzGsssy

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without moving, her wet eyes blazing
like stars.
"See," she whispered. "See!"
Half an inch more-an inch, two
inches, and he gave his big gray body
hunch toward her Now his muzzle
travelled slowly upward-Over her
foot, to her lap, and at last touched
the warm little hand that lay there.
His eyes were still on her face: he
saw a queer throbbing in her bare
white throat, and then trembling OF
her lips as she looked at the man with
wonderful look. He. too, knelt
down beside them, and put his arm
about the girl again, and patted the
dog on his head KaZan did not like
the mans touch. He mistrusted 1t.
as nature had taught him to mistrust
the touch of all mems hands, but he
permitted it because he saw that it
in some way pleased the girl.
"Kazan, old boy, you wouldn't hurt
her, would you?" said his master soft
ly. 1--WE both love her, don't We,
boy? Can't help it, can we? And she's
ours, Kazan, all ours, She belongs to
you and to me, and we're going to
take care of her all our lives, and if
We ever have to we'll fight for her
like hell-won't we? Eth, Kazan, old
boy?'
For a long time after they left him
where he was lying on the rug. Ka-
zan's eyes did not leave the girl. He
watched and listened-and all the
time there grew more and more in
him the craving to creep up to them
and touch the girls hand, or her dress,
or her foot. After a time his master
said something, and with a little
laugh the girl jumped up and ran to
big, square, shining thing that stood
crosswise in a corner, and which had
row of white teeth longer than his
own body. He had wondered what
those teeth were for. The girls fin
gers touched them now, and all the
whispering of winds that he had ever
heard, all the music of the waterfalls
and the rapids and the trilling of
birds in spring-time, could not equal
the sounds they made. 1t was his mu-
sic. For a moment it startled and
frightened him, and then he felt the
fright pass away and a strange ting
ling in his body. He wanted to sit
back on his launches and howl, as he
had howled at the billion stars in the
skies on cold winter nights. But
something kept him from doing that.
1t was the girl. Slowly he began
Sinking toward her. He felt the eyes
of the man upon him, and stopped.
Then little more-inches at a time
with his throat and jaw straight out
along the floor, He was halfway to
nSi oii-"os oSiooo thC ioohi "hSh
the wonderful sounds grew very soft
and very low.
go on" he heard the man urge in
a low quick voice. go on. Don't
stop,"
The girl turned her head, saw Ka-
zan cringing there on the floor, and
continued to play. The man was still
looking, but his eyes could not keep
Kazan' back now. He went nearer,
still nearer, until at last his Outreach-
ing muzzle touched her dress where 1t
lay piled On the floor. And then-he
lay trembling, for she had begun to
sing. He had heard Cree woman
grooming in front of her tepee; he had
heard the wild chant of the caribou
song-but he had never heard any
thing like this wonderful sweetness
that fell from the lips of the girl. He
forgot his masters presence now.
Quietly, cringingly, so that she would
not know, he lifted his head. he saw
her looking at him; there was some
thing in her wonderful eyes that gave
him confidence. and he laid his head in
her lap. For the second time he felt
the touch of a woman's hand, and he
closed his eyes with a long signing
breath. The music stopped. There
came a little fiuttering sound above
him, like a laugh and sob in one
He heard his master cough.
"I've always loved the old rascal
but | never thought he'd do that,
he said; and his voice sounded queer
to KaZap.
CHAPTER III
U~f. hn Enrfh