University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-08-23

, wish we'd never brought him along.
} "If we hadn't-where would the
!. baby have gomez" Joan reminded
. him, little catch in her voice.
81 had almost forgotten that" said
her husband. "Kazan, you old devil,
guess love you, too" He laid his
} hand caressingly on Kazan's head.
wonder how he'll take to life down
there" he asked "He has ALWAYS
been used to the forests. It'll seem
mighty strange"
"And so-have always been used
to the forests" whispered Joan. Il
guess that's why love Kazan-next
to you and the baby. Kazan-dear old
Kazan,"
This time Kazan felt and scented
more of that mysterious change in the
cabin Joan and her husband talked
necessarily of their plans when they
were together; and when the man was
away Joan talked to the baby, and
to him. And each time he came
down to the cabin during the week
that followed, he grew more and more
restless, until at last the man no
ticed the change in him.
81 believe he knows" he said to
Joan one evening. 81 believe he
knows we're preparing to leave"
Then he added: "The river was ris-
ing again today. 1t will be another
week before we can start, perhaps
longer"
That same night the moon flooded
the top of the Sun Rock with a golden
light, and out into the glow of it
came Gray Wolf, with her three lit
tie whelps toddling behind her. There
was much about these soft little balls
that tumbled about him and snuggled
in his tawny coat that reminded Ka-
the same queer, soft little sounds, and
they staggered about on their four
little legs just as helplessly as baby
Joan made her way about on two. He
did not fondle them, as Gray Wolf
did, but the touch of them, and their
babyish whimperings, filled him with
kind of pleasure that he had never
experienced before.
The moon was straight above them.
and the night was almost as brigh. as
day, when he went down again to
hunt for Gray Wolf At the coOt of
the rock a big white rabbit popped
up ahead of him, and he gave base.
For half mile he pursued, until tho
wolf instinct in him rose ove~ tine dog. |
and he gave up the futile race. A
deer he might have overtaken. but |
small game the wolf must aunt rs the |
fox hunts it, and he began to slip |
through the thickets slowly and as |
quietly as a shadow He was a mile |
from the Sun Rock when two quick |
leaps put Gray VOLTS supper between
his jaws. He trotted back slowly,
dropping the big seven-pound snow
shoe hare now and then to rest.
When he came to the narrow trail |
that led to the top of the Sun Rock he
stopped. In that trail was the warm
scent of strange feet. The rabbit |
fell from his jaws. Every hair in his
body was suddenly electrified into
life. What he scented was not the
scent of rabbit, marten or a por-
cupine. Fang and claw had climbed |
the path ahead of him. And then,
coming family to him from the top
of the rock, he heard sounds which
sent him up with a terrible whining
cry. When he reached the summit he
saw in the white moonlight a scene
that stopped him for single momert
Close to the edge of the sheer fall to
the rocks, fifty feet below, Gray Wolf
was engaged in death-struggle with
a huge gray lynx. She was cown--
and under, and from her there came a
sudden sharp terrible cry OF pain.
Kazan flew across the rock His
attack was the swift silent assault of
the wolf, combined with the greater
courage, the fury and the strategy
of the husky. Another husky would
have died in that first attack. But the
lynx was not dog or a wolf 1t was
"Mow-lee, the swift" as the Sarcees
had named it-the qu.,k creature
in the wilderness Kazan inch long
fangs should have SUNK deep in it,
iugular. But in fractional part of
second the lynx had thrown itself
back like huge soft ball, and Kazan's
teeth buried themselves in the flesh of
its neck instead of the jugular. And
Kazan was not now fighting the fangs
of wolf in the pack, or of another
husky. He was fighting claws-claws
that ripped like twenty razor-edged
knives, and which even jugular hold