Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-13
CHAPTER XIV
THE RIGHT OF FANG.

A
"a ,.,,s,sd in the blood-stained snow,
Mi. faithful Gray Wolf, still filled with
-. endurance OF her wild wolf breed, tore
s.-celv at the thick skin on the bulls
/, ! =, to law open the red flesh. When she
"a aone this she did not eat, but ran to
,r..o,,s side and whined softly as she
,,u,zled him with her nose. After that
they feasted. crouchlns sue ny s,ue sa
srii,s neck and tearing at the warm sweet
nesh. 49, ,or,barn dav
N S,5irp swiftly into night when they
s..,,, mss hack gorged until there were no
,nsssr hollows in their sides. The faint
l'',nS died away. The clouds that had
s,ns MN, in the sky during the day drifted
eastward, and the moon shone briillant
- clear For an hour the night con-
ssnaod to grow lighter. To the brilliance
~ ,bs moon and the stars there was
oxsaa now the pale fires of the aurora
K sorealis, shivering and flashing over the
Its kissing, cracking monotone, like the
craaking of steel sledge-runners on trost-
N,ied snow, came family to the ears Oh
Kazan and Gray Wolf. ,oo
Az vet they had not gone 100 yards
tron, the dead bull, and at first sound OF
,rS strange mystery in the northern skies
shev stopped and listened to 1t, alert and
susnicious. Then they laid their ears
salant and trotted slowly back to the meat
,hsy had killed. Instinct told them that
I, was theirs only by right of fang. They
had fought to kill It. And 1t was In the
law Of the wild that they would nave TO
arhs to keep II. In good hunting days
they would have gone on and wandered
under the moon and stars. But long days
nf CT arNya
something different now.
On that clear and stormless night toi-
lowing the days of plague and famine
10000 hungry creatures came out from
their retreats to hunt for food. For lSUo
miles east and west and 1000 miles north
and south slim, gaunt-bellied creatures
hunted under the moon and the stars.
Something told Kazan and Gray Wolt
that this hunt was on, and never Tor an
Instant Aid they cease their vigilance. At
last they lay down at the edge OF the
sprt,ca thicket and waited. Gray Wolf
r.nsslsd Razan gently with her blind race.
The uneasy whine in her throat was q
warning to him. Then she shifted the air
and llstened-sniffed and listened
Suddenly every muscle in their bodies
grew rigid. Something living had passed
near them, something that they could not
see or hear and scarcely scent. IL came
ara,n. as mysterious as a shadow. and
then out OF the air. there fioated down as
silently as huge snowflake great white
owl Kazan saw the hungry winged crea-
ture settle on the bulls shoulder, Like
Z fash he was out from his cover. Gray
Wolf a yard behind him. With an angry
snarl he lunged at the white ropper ana
his Jaws snapped on empty air. HIS leap
carried him clean over the Dull ne
turned, but the owl was gone,
oil nf ia
turned to him now.
He trotted about the bull, the hair along
his spine bristling like brush, MS eyes
wide and menacing. He snarled at the
still air. His jaws clicked, and he sat
back on his launches and faced the
blood-stained trail that the moose had
left before he died. Again that Instinct
as infallible as reason told him that dan
ger would come from there.
Like a red ribbon the trail ran back
through the wilderness. The little swift
moving erInine were everywhere this
night, looking like white rats as they
lodged about In the moonlight. They
were first 10 find the trail, and with all
the feroeity OF their blood-eating nature
followed It with quick. exciting leaps.
fox caught the scent of II quarter OF
mile to windward and came nearer
From out OF a deep windfall beady-
eyed, thin-bellied fishercat came forth
and stopped with his feet in the crimson
ribbon.
It was the hshercat that brought Ka-
zan out from under his cover of spruce
again. In the moonlight there was a
sharp quick fight, a snarling and scratch
lns catlike yowl of pain and the fisher
forgot his hunger In flight. Kazan re-
turned to Gray Wolf~with a lacerated and
bleeding nose. Gray Wolf licked It SYM
pathetieally, while Kazan stood rigid and
listening
The fox swung swiftly away with the
WIND warned by the sounds of conflict
ne was not fighter, but a murderer who
Killed from behind. and a little later he
ieaped upon an owl and tore 1t into bits
lof the half pound OF flesh within the
mass OF feathers.
But nothing could drive back those lit
us white outlaws of the wilderness-tht
sLmlne. They would have stolen between
tne ieet Of man 10 get at the warm flesh
and blood OF the freshly killed bull. Ka-
lan hunted them savagely. They were
seo quick for him, more like elusive
nsAnes In the moonlight than things oi
ne They burrowed under the old bull'f
peay and fed while he raved and filled
~ mouth with snow. Gray Wolf sal
Macidiy on her haunches. The little er.
,llhe did not trouble her. and after a time
Aazan realized this and flung himself
FOR long time after that the night
sAs almost unbroken by sound. Once In
ne ter distance there came the cry OF
solt, and now and then, to punctuatt
sae aeathly silence. the snow owl hootet
- elood-eurdling protest from his .homG
N the spruce.top
me moon was straight above the old
eAli when Gray Wolf scented the firs
- danger. Instantly she tgave tbs
-atining TO Kazan and faced the bhoods
Lsll ner 1.-the body quivering. her fangl
s.zalnn ng In the starlight, snarlinG
Tnne In her throat Only In the fac
snsir dsadliest enemy. the lynx-th'
'sl1ie lighter who had blinded her loni
80 ~ that battle on the sun Rock-dis
- kise such warning as this 10 Kazan
- spfahs ahead OF her. ready for bat
sven before he caught the scent o
gray beautiful creature OF deatl
'.Taihs over lhe trail.
ansn Game Tie interruption. From
Ae away tEote burst forth a slngl'
-e.se long drawn howl
After all. shat was the cry OF the tru,
-z'ef q The wilderness wolf |
- ne cry Of h-Eger. Il vas the erl
-. sent men blood running mor'
10y 1aroush their yelns. that hroueh