University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-08-24

eastward, carrying the smoke with II
and during this breathing spell all tn,
wild creatures in the triangle between
the two rivers waited. This gave tn,
fire time to sweep completely across
the base of the forest triangle, cuttini
off the last trails of escape.
Then the wind shifted again, anC
the fire swept north. The head of the
triangle became death-trap. Al
through the night the southern sky
was filled with lurid glow, and by
morning the heat and smoke and ash
were suffocating.
Panic-stricken, Kazan searched
vainly for a means of escape. Not fol
an instant did he leave Gray Wolf. II
would have been easy for him to swim
across either of the two streams. for
he was three-quarters dog. But at the
first touch of water on her paws, Gray
Wolf drew back, shrinking. Like all
her breed, she would face fire and
death before water. Kazan urged. A
dozen times he leaped in, and swan
out into the stream. But Gray Wolf
would come no farther than she could
wade
They could hear the distant mur-
muring roar of the fire now. Ahead of
it came the wild things. Moose. Carl
bou and deer plunged into the water
of the streams and swan to the safety
of the opposite side Out upon a
white finger of sand numbered a big
black bear with two cubs, and even
the cubs took to the water. and swan
across easily. Kazan watched them,
and whined to Gray Wolf.
And then out upon that white fing-
er of sand came other things that
dreaded the water as Gray Wolf
dreaded it: a big fat porcupine,
sleek little marten, a fisher-cat that
shifted the air and walled like a child.
Those things that could not or would
not swim outnumbered the others
three to one Hundreds of little err
mine scurring along the shore like
rats. their squaking little voices
sounding necessarily: foxes ran swift
ly along the banks, seeking tree or
a windfall that might bridge the wa
70 he al
faced the fire; and Gray VOLTS own
tribe-the wolves-dared take no
deeper step than she.
Dripping and painting, and half
choked by heat and smoke. Kazan
came to Gray VOLTS side. There was
but one refuge left near them, and
that was the sand-bar. 1t reached
out for fifty feet into the stream.
Quickly he led his blind mate toward
it. AS they came through the low
bush to the river-bed. something
stopped them both To their nostrils
had come the scent of deadlier ene-
my than fire. A lynx had taken pos
session of the sand-bar, and was
crouching at the end of it. Three por-
cupines had dragged themselves into
the edge of the water, and lay there
like balls, their quilts alert and quiv-
ering. A fisher-cat was snarling at
the lynx. And the lynx, with ears
laid back, watched Kazan and Gray |
Wolf as they began the invasion of the |
sand-bar
Faithful Gray Wolf was full of fight, |
and she sprang shoulder to shoulder |
with Kazan. her fangs barred. With an |
angry snap, Kazan drove her back,
and she stood quivering and whining |
while he advanced. Light-foOteu, his
pointed ears forward. no menace or
threat in his attitude, he advanced. 1t
was the deadly advance of the husky |
trained in battle, skilled in the art of |
killing. A man from civilization
would have said that the dog was ap-
preaching the lynx with friendly in
tentions But the lynx understood. 1t
was the old feud of many generations
deadlier now by Kazan's
memory of that night at the top of the
Sun Rock.
Instinct told the fisher-cat what was
coming, and it crouched low and fiat;
the porcupines. scolding like little
at the presence OF enemies
and the thickening clouds of smoke.
thrust their quills still more erect.
The lynx lay on it's belly. like cat,
It's hindquarters twitching, and gath
cred for the spring. Kazan's feet
seemed scarcely to touch the sand as
ne circled lightly around it. The lynx
,ivoted as he circled, and then it shot
n a round snarling ball over the eight
'eet of space that separated them.
Kazan did not leap aside. He made
10 effort to escape the attack, but met
[ fairly with the full force of his
shoulders, as sledge-dOg meets sledge-