Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-11-11
cHApTER XVI (Continued)

This year, to offset the memory OF
plague and death, the factor had put
forth unusual exertions. His hunters
had killed four fat caribou. In the
clearing there were great piles OF dry
logs, and in the center of all these
rose eight ten foot tree butts crotcnee
at the top; and from crotch to crotch
there rested a stout sapling stripped OF
bark, and on each sapling was spitted
the carcass of caribou, to be roasted
whole by the heat of the fire beneath.
The fires were lighted at dusk, and
Williams himself started the hrst ol
those wild songs of the Northland -
the song Of the caribou, as the names
leaped up into the night. f
ooh re cariboo-oo-oo, re cariboo-oo-oo,
He roas on high,
Jes' under re sky.
Ze beeg white cariboo-oo-oo!
"Now," he yelled "Now - all to-
gether," And carried away by his en-.
thusiasm, the forest people awakened
from their silence of months, and the
song burst forth in savage frenzy
that reached to the skies.
Two miles to the south ana west
that first thunder Of human voice
reached the ears of Kazan and Gray
Wolf and the masterless huskies. AND
with the voices of men they heard now
the excited howlings OF dogs me
huskies faced the direction OF the
sounds, moving restlessly and winning.
For a few moments kazan stood as
though carven of rock. Then he turn
ed his head. and his first look was 10
Gray Wolf. She had skunk back doz-
en- feet and lay crouched under the
thick cover of a balsam shrub her
body. legs and neck We're dattened IN
, the snow. She made no sound, but ner
lips were drawn back and her teeth
shone white.
Kazan trotted back to her, sn1ned at
her blind face and whined. Gray VOL
still did not move. He returned 10 ths
dogs and his jaws opened and closeo
with a snap. Still more clearly came
the wild voice of the carnival. anu no
longer to be held back by kazan 5
leadership, the four huskies dropped
their heads and skunk like shadows III
its direction. Kazan hesitated, urging
Gray Wolf. But not a muscle OF Gray
VOLTS body moved. She would nave
followed him in face of fire but not IN
face Of man. Not a sound escaped ner
ears. She heard the quick fall OF IA
zan's feet as he left her. In another
moment she knew that he was gone.
Then = and not until then - did she
lift her head. and from her soft throat
there broke whimpering cry
It was her last call to Kazan. But
stronger than that there was running
through Kazan's excited blood the call
OF man and dog. The huslltes were far
IN advance of him now and for a few
moments he raced madly to overtake
them Then he slowed down until he
was trotting, and hundred yards 1ar-
Their on he stopped. Less than mile
away he could see where the names
of the great fires were reddenine the
sky. He gazed back to see II Gray
Wolf was following and then went on
until he. struck an open and hard trav'
eled trail It was beaten with the
footprints of men and dogs, and over
it two of the caribou had been dragged
a day or two before.
At last he came to the thinned out
strip of timber that surrounded the
clearing and the fare of the flames
was In his eyes. The bedlam of sound
that came to him now was like fire III
his brain. He heard the song and the
laughter OF men, the shrill cries OF Wo.
men and children. the barking and
snarling and fighting of hundred
dogs. He wanted to rush out and Join
them, to become again a part of what
he had been. Yard by yard he sneaked
through the thin timber until he reach
ed the edge of the clearing. There he
stood in the shadow of a spruce and
looked out upon life as he had once
lived It. trembling, wistful and yet hes