University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-08-16

affection and loyalty for IsObel.
Having returned to the North. Thorpe
and Isobel prepare for cross country
trip to the scene of Thorpe's 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 iercely
manifests his distrust and memory Of Me
Cready. Mistaking Kazan's leap at Me
Cready as an attack on lsobel, Thorpe
beats the dog numerically. Isobel inter
feres and explains.
That night McCready murderously as
of his mistress. KaZan breaks the rope
that holds him and kills McCready. Fear
ing beating, he disappears into the
woods.
Thorpe had come out from the tent.
1t was approaching dawn, and in his
hand he held a rifle. A moment later
the girl came out, and her hand caught
the mans arm. They looked toward
the thing covered by the blanket.
Then she spoke to Thorpe and he sud
denly Strengthened and threw back his
head.
"H-o-o-o-o- Kazan- Kazan- Ka-
Zan!" he called.
A shiver ran through Kazan. The
man was trying to inveigle him back.
He had in his hand the thing that
killed.
''Kazan-Kazan-K he
shouted again.
Kazan sneaked cautiously back from
the tree. He knew that distance
meant nothing to the cold thing Of
death that Thorpe held in his hand
He turned his head once, and whined
softly. and for an instant a great long
ing filled his Redeemed eyes as he
saw the last of the girl.
He knew, now, that he was leaving
her forever, and there was an ache In
his heart that had never been there be-
fore, a pain that was not of the club
or whip. of cold or hunger, but which
was greater than them all, and which
filled him with desire to throw back
his head and cry out his loneliness to
the gray emptiness of the sky
Back in the camp the girls voice
quivered.
He is gone"
The mans strong voice choked a
little.
"Yes, he is gone He knew-and L
didn't. I'd give-a year Of my life
if hadn't whipped him yesterday and
last night He won't come back"
Isobel Thorpe's hand tightened on
his arm. "He will" she cried. "He
won't leave me. He loved me, if he
was savage and terrible And he
knows that | love him. He'll come
back"
Listen"
From deep in the forest there came
a long wailing howl, filled with a
plaintive sadness. 1t was Kazan's
to the woman.
After that cry Kazan sat for a long
time on his launches, smiling the new
freedom of the air, and watching the
deep black pits in the forest about
him, as they faded away before dawn
Now and then, since the day the trad
ers had first bought him and put him
into sledge-traces away over on the
he had often thought of
his freedom longingly, the wolf blood
in him urging him to take it. But he
had never quite dared. 1t thrilled
him now. There we're no clubs here,
no whips, none of the man-beasts
whom he had first learned to distrust,
md then to hate. 1t was his misfor-
quarter-strain of wolf;
Ind the clubs, instead of subduing him,
had added to the savagery that was
BORN in him. Men had been his worst
enemies. They had beaten him time
ind again until he was almost dead. |
they called him bad" and stepped |
" iuC vi Hilu, duu never ullSS6u 1
chance to snap a whip over his back. |
His body was covered with scars they |
lad given him.
He had never felt kindness, or love. |
Until the first night the woman had |
'ut her warm little hand on his head,
md had snuggled her face close down
o his. while Thorpe-her husband
lad cried out in horror. He had al
most buried his fangs in her white
iesh, but in an instant her gentle |
ouch, and her. sweet voice, had sent
through him that wonderful thrill that |
vas his first knowledge of love. And
low it was a man who was driving
lin from her. away from the hand
hat had never held a club or a whip.
nd he growled as he trotted deeper
nto the forest.
He came to the edge of a swamp as
ay broke. For time he had been
He'd with a strange uneasiness, and
ight did not quite dispel it. At last
e was free Of men. He could detect
othing that reminded him of their