Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-19
% JAMES
SOlIVER
CuRWOOD

Sandy drifted quietly around a bend a
hundred yards above them. If the wind
had been right or IL Sandy had been using
his paddle, Gray Wolf would have de-
tected danger. II was the metallic click
click of the old-fashioned lock of Sandy's
rifle that awakened her to a sense of
peril. Instantly she was thrilled by the
nearness of II. Kazan heard the sound
and stopped drinking to face II. In that
moment Sandy pressed the trigger. A
belch of smoke, a roar of gunpowder, and
Kazan felt a redhot stream of fire pass
with the swiftness of a lightning-fiash
through his brain. He stumbled back,
his legs gave way under him. and he
crumpled down in n limp heap. Gray
Wolf darted like n streak Off into the
bush. Blind. she had not seen Kazan
wilt down upon the white sand. Not until
she was a quarter Of n mile away from
the terrifying thunder Of the white mans
rifle did she stop and walt for him.
Sandy McTrigger grounded his canoe
on the sandbar with an exultant yell.
Got you, you old devil didn't II" he
cried. "Td "a got the other, too IL I'd
a had something besides this damned old
relic"
He turned Bazan's head over with the
butt of his gun, and the leer of satisfac-
tion In his face gave place to n sudden
look of amazement For the first time he
MY Gawd 1t amt wolf" he gasped.
ITS a dog. Sandy McTrigger-a dogw
CHAPTER XXI
n NTcTRIGGER dropped on his knees In
1Nl the sand The look Of exultation
was gone from his face He twisted the
collar about the dogs imp neck until he
came to the worn plate, on which he
could make out the family engraved let
tprS k-a-Z-a-n. Hn gnailp1 lattara
out one by one, and the look in his face
was of one who still disbelleved what he
had seen and heard.
"A dogr he exclaimed again. "a dog,
Sandy McTrigger an IA beauty"
He rose to his feet and looked down on
his victim a pool of blood lay in the
white sand at the end of Kazans nose.
After moment Sandy bent over to see
where his bullet had struck. His inspec-
tion filled him with new and greater
interest. The heavy ball from the muz-
zle-loader had struck Eazan fairly on
top of the head. It was n glancing blow
that had not even broken the skull, and
like flash Sandy understood the quiv-
ering and twitching of Kazan's shoulders
and legs He had thought that they were
the last muscular throes of death. But
Kazan was not dying. He was only
stunned, and would be on his feet again
in a few minutes. Sandy was con-
noisseur Of dogs-of dogs that had worn
sledge traces. He had lived among them
two-thirds of his life. He could tell their
age, their value and part of their his
tory at glance. In the snow he could
that of Malemute. and the track OF an
Eskimo dog from that of n Yukon husky.
He looked Mt Kazan's feet. They were
wolf feet, cnd he Chuckled. Kazan was
part wild. lie was big and powerful, and
Sandy thought of the coming winter and
IN 1nU u hiring
at lied Gold City. He went to the canoe
and returned with n roll OF stout moose
hide babiche. Then he sat down cross
legged in front of Kazan and began maxi
ing n muzzle. He did this by plating
babiche thongs in the same manner that
one does in making a web of n snowshoe.
In 10 minutes he had the muzzle over
Kazan's nose and fastened securely about
his neck To the dogs collar he then
fastened a 10-foot rope OF babiche. After
that he sat back and waited for Kazan
to come to life.
When Kazan first lifted his head he
could not see. There was a red film be-
fore his eyes. But this passed away
swiftly and ho saw the man. His first
instinct was to rise to his feet. Three
times he fell back before he could stand
up. Sandy was squatted six feet from
him, holding the end of the babiche,
and grinning. Kazan's fangs cleaned
DacK. lie growled, ana the crest along
his spine rose menacingly. Sandy jumped
to his feet.
"Guess 1 know what you're hggering
on" he said. i've had your kind be-
fore. The dam wolves have turned you
bad an you'll need a whole lot of club
before you're right again. Now. look
here"
Sandy had taken the precaution of
bringing a thick club along with the
babiche He picked 1t up from where he
had dropped it in the sand. Kazans
strength had fairly returned to him now.
He was no longer dizzy. The mist had
cleared away from his eyes. Before him
he saw once more his old enemy, man
man and the club. All of the wild feroc-
ity of his nature was reused In an in
stant. Without reasoning he knew that
Gray Wolf was gone, and that this man
was accountable for her going, He knew
that this man had also brought him his