Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-01
CHAPTER ".
FREE FROM BONDS.

THERE was low moaning of the wind
i in the spruce tops as Kazan skunk off
into the blackness and mystery of the
forest For hours he lay near the camp.
his red and blistered eyes gazing steadily
at the tent wherein the terrible thing had
happened little while before.
He knew now what death was. He
could tell 1t farther than man. He could
smell 1t in the air. And he knew that
there was death all about him. and that
he was the cause of 1t. He lay on his
belly in the deep snow and shivered, and
the three-quarters of him that was dog
whined in a grief-stricken way, while the
quarter that was wolf still revealed itself
menacingly in his fangs and in the venge-
fui glare OF his eyes.
Three times the man-his master--came
opt of the tent and shouted loudly, "Ka-
zs l-Kazan-Kazan!
Three times the woman came with him.
In the freight Kazan coGld see her shin
Ing hair streaming about her. as he had
seen II In the tent, when he had leaped
up and killed the other man, In her blue
eyes there was the same wild terror and
her face was white as the snow. And
the second and third time, she, too called,
"Kazan-Kazan--KaZa all that
part of him that was dog, and not wolf.
trembed Joyously at the sound of her
voice, and he almost crept in to take his
beating. But fear of the club was the
greater. and he held back, hour after
hour, until now it was silent again in
the tent. and he could no longer see their
shadows and the fire was dying down.
Cautiously he crept out from theSthick
gloom. working his way on his belly to-
ward the packed sledge and what re-
mained of the burned logs. Beyond that
sledge, hidden in the darkness of the
trees. was the body of the man he had
killed, covered with blanket. Thorpe.
his master, had dragged 1t there.
He lay down, with his nose to the warm
Goals and his eyes leveled between his
Iorepaws. straight at the closed tent
flap.
He meant to keep awake. to watch, to
be ready to stink OFF into the forest at
the hrst movement there, But warmth
was rising from out of the gray ash of
the fire-bed, and his eyes closed. Twice
three times-he fought himself back
into watchfulness; but the last time his
eyes came only half open, and closed
heavily again.
And now. in his sleep, he whined
softly and the splendid muscles of his
legs and shoulders twitched, and sud
aen shuddering ripples ran along his
lawny spine, Thorpe, VIII was In the
tent, II he had seen him. would have
known that he was dreaming. And
Ihorpe's wife, whose golden head lay
close against his breast, and who shud-
esred and trembled now and then even
as kazan was doing. would have known
what he was dreaming about.
In his sleep he was leaping again at
the end OF his chain His jaws snapped
IKE castanets of steel-and the sound
awakened him, and he sprang TO his
teet, his spine as stih as a brush. and
MS snarling fangs barred like ivory
hnFes. He had awakened just in time.
there was movement In the tent. His
master was awake, and If he did not
escape
lie sped swiftly into the thick spruce.
ana paused. fiat and hidden, with only
ms mead showing from behind a tree.
tie hnew that his master would not spare
nun Three times Thorpe had beaten
nm ter swapping at MeCready. The last
time ne would have shot him If the girl
nAu not saved him. And now he had
torn Aecready's throat. He had taken
me iie from him, and his master would
- spsIe him Even the woman eoold
not save him.
hazan vas sorry that his master had
sstufned. dazed and bleeding after be
nAa torn Aecready's jugular Then he
Nouio have had her always She would
lsFe ioFed him. She did love him And
as would have followed her, and fought
~ ner Always, and died for her when
lne TINE 7me But Thorpe had come
from the forest again and kazan had