Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-10-23
CHAPTER VIII (Continued)

l
The rocks, the ridges and the val
leys were taking on warmer glow
The popular buds were ready to burst
The scent Of balsam and OF spruce
grew heavier in the air each day, and
all through the wilderness, IN plain
and forest, there was the ripping
murmur of the spring floods finding
their way to Hudson's Bay. In that
great bay there was the rumble and
crash Of the Ice fields laundering
down In the early breakup through
the Roes Welcome-the doorway to
The, Arctic, and for that reason there
ntilI came with the April wind an
occasional sharp breath Of winter.
Kazan had sheltered himself
against that wind. Not breath of air
stirred in the sunny spot the wolf dog
had chosen for himself. He was more
comfortable than he had been at any
time during the six months of terrible
winter-and as he slept he dreamed.
Gray Wolf, his wild mate, lay near
him, flat on her belly, her forepaws
reaching out, her eyes and ,nostrlls a.
keen and alert as the smell of man
could make them. For there was that
emeN Imam, as well as of balsam and
spruce. in the war; spring air. She
RACED anxiously and sometimes steadi
lv at Kazan as he slept. Her own gray
spine stiffened when she saw the
iawny hair along Kazan's back bristle
ut some dream vision. She Whlned
softly as his upper lip snarled back,
show ing his long white fangs. But for
the most part Kazan lay quiet. save
for the muscular twitchings Of legs.
shoulders and muzzle, which always
tell when a dog is dreaming; and as he
dreamed there came to the door OF the
cabin out on the plain blue eyed girl
woman, with big brown braid over
her shoulder, who called through the
cup Of her hands, "Kazan, Kazan, Ka-
Zan."
Thhlyoice reached family to the top
Of the Sun Rock and Gray Wolf fiat
tened her ears. Kazan stirred, and in
another instant he was awake and on
his feet. He leaped to an outcropping
ledge shifting the air and looking far
out over the plain that lay below them.
Over the plain the womans voice
came to them again, and Kazan ran to
the edge OF the rock and whined. Gray
Wolf stepped softly to his side and
laid her muzzle on his shoulder. She
had grown to know what the Voice
meant. Day and night she feared it,
more than she feared the scent or
sound OF man.
Since she had given up the pack and
her old life for Kazan. the Voice had
become Gray VOLTS greatest enemy,
and She hated it. 1t took Kazan from
her. And wherever 1t went, Kazan fol-
lowed.
Night after night 1t robbed her Of
her mate, and left her to wander alone
under the stars and the moon, keeping
faithfully to her loneliness, and never
once responding with her own tongue
to the hunt calls of her wild brothers
and sisters in the forests and out OH
the plains Usually she would smart
at the Voice and sometimes nip Ka-
ian lightly to show her displeasure.
But today as the Voice came a third
time she skunk back into the darkness
Of f1ssure between two rocks, and
Kazan saw only the fiery glow of her
eyes.
Kazan ran nervously to the trail
their feet had worn up to the top of
the Sun Rock and stood undecided. All
day, and Yesterday, he had been I'M
easy and disturbed. Whatever it was
that stirred him seemed to be in the
air. for he could not see it or hear it
or scent it, But he could feel it. He
went to the assure and shifted at Gray
Wolf Usually she whined coaXingly.
But her response today was to draw
back her lips until he could see her
white fangs
A fourth time the Voice came to
them family, and she snapped fiercely
at some unseen thing in the darkness
between the two rocks. Kazan went