University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-09-02

4 took possession of him. The kick hal
completed his first education. He came
back with less caution, but stiffer-leg.
ged, and a moment later had dug his
tiny teeth in the rabbits neck He
could feel the throb of life in the soft
body, the muscles of the dying rabbit
twitched convulsive,y under him, and
he hung with his teeth until there was
no longer a tremor of life in his first
kill Gray Wolf was delighted. She
caressed Ba-ree with her tongue, and
even Kazan condescended to sniff ap-
! provingly of his son when he returned
to the rabbit. And never before had
warm sweet blood tasted so good
to Ba-ree as it did today.
Swiftly Ba-ree developed from a
blood-tasting into f1esh-eating ami
NAL. One by one the mysteries of life
were unfolded to him-the mating
night chortle of the gray owl, the crash
of falling tree. the roll of thunder,
the rush of running water, the scream
of fisher-cat, the mooing of the COW
moose, and the distant call of his tribe.
But chief of all these mysteries that
were already becoming a part of his
instinct was the mystery of scent. One
day he wandered fifty yards away
from the windfall and his little nose
touched the warm scent of rabbit. In
stantly, without reasoning or further
process of education, he knew that to
get at the sweet flesh and blood which
he loved he must follow the scent.
He wriggled slowly along the trail
until he came to a big log, over which
the rabbit had vaulted in long leap,
and from this log he turned back.
Each day after this he went on adven-
lures of his own. At first he was like
an explorer without a compass in
vast and unknown world. Each day he
encountered something new. always,
wondering, frequently terrifying. But
his terrors grew less and less and his
confidence correspondingly greater.
AS he found that none of the things he
feared did him any harm he became
more and more bold in his investiga-
tions. And his appearance was chang
ing, as well as his view of things. His
round roly-poly body was taking
different form. He became 1.-THE and
quick. The yellow of his coat dark
ened, and there was a whitish-gray
streak along his back like that along
Kazan's. He had his mothers under
throat and her beautiful grace of head.
Otherwise he was true son of Kazan.
His limbs gave signs Of future
strength and massiveness. He was
broad across the chest His eyes were
wide apart, with a little red in the
lower corners. The forest people
know what to expect of husky pups
who early develop that drop of red.
1t is warning that they are born of
the wild and that their mothers, or
fathers, are of the savage hunt-packs.
In Ba-ree that tinge of red was so pro-
nounced that it could mean but one |
thing. While he was almost half |
dog, the wild had claimed him forever.
Not until the day Of his first real
battle with living creature did Ba-
rec come fully into his inheritance. He
had gone farther than usual from the
windfall-fully hundred yards Here
he found a new wonder. 1t was the
creek. He had heard it before and he
had looked down on it from afar--
from distance of fifty yards at least.
But today he ventured going I'd t,le
edge of it, and there he stood for a
ong time, with the water ripplirg and
singing at his feet, gazing across 1t
INTO the new world that he saw. Then
ne moved cautiously along the stream.
He had not gone a dozen steps when
here was furious fluttering close to
him, and one of the fierce big-eyeG jays
Of the Northland was directly in his
path. 1t could not fly. One of its
wings dragged, probably broken ic
struggle with some one of the smaller
'reying beasts. But for an instant it
vas a most startling and defiant bit
If life to Ba-ree
Then the grayish crest along his
Jack stiffened and he advanced. The
wounded jay remained motionless un-
il Ba-ree was within three feet OF il.
n short quick hops it began to re-
reat. Instantly Ba-ree's indecision
lad flown to the four winds. With one
harp excited yelp he flew at the de-
lant bird. For a few moments there
vas a thrilling race, and Ba-ree's
harp little teeth buried themselves
n the jays feathers. Swift as & Hash
he birds beak began to strike. The