Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-15
BY JAMES
SOLlVER
CURWOOD

= most startling and defiant bit Of life
TO Ba-ree
Then the grayiSh crest along his back
stiffcned and he advanced. The wounded
jay remained moticnlcss un:H Ba-rec was
within three feet OF it,
In short quick hops it bcea' 20 re-
treat. Instantly Ba-rees indecislon had
flown to the tour winds. With oDy sharp.
excited ycip he flew at the defiant bird.
For a few moments there was n thrilling
race, and Ba-rees sharp little teeth
ouried themselves in the Jays feathers
Swift as a flash the birds bcak began to
strike. The jay was the king of the
smaller birds. In nesting season IL killed
the brush sparrows, the mild-cycd moose
birds and the trec.sappers. Again and
again II struck Ba-ree with is powerful
beak. but the son of kazan had now
reached the age Of battle and the pain
of the blows only made his own teeth
sink deeper AT last he found tho flesh.
and n runnv,eh ennrl r1ac In his th"cnt
Fortunately, he had gained a hold under
tue wing. and alter the nrst ooIen .ioN s
the jays resistance grew weaker. Five
minutes later Ba-rce looscncd his teeth
and drew back a step TO look at the
crumped and motionless creature before
him. The jay was dead. He had won
his first battle. And with victory came
the wonderful dawning OF that greatest
instinct OF all. which told him that no
longer was he n drone i'm the marvellous
mechanism of wilderness lifc--but n part
of 1t from this time forth. For he had
killed.
Half an hour later Gray Wolf came
down over his trail. The jay was torn
into bits. Its feathers wcrc scattered
about and Ba-ree's little nose was bloody
Ba-ree was lying III triamph bcs de his
victim. Swiftly Gray Wolf understood
and caressed him joyously. When they
returned to the windfal Ba-ree carried
In his jaws what was left Of the Jay
From that hour of his first kill hunt
ing became the chief passion of Bn -ree's =
life. When he was no. sleeping i'm the
sun. or under tho windrall at night, he
was seeking life that he could destroy
He slaughtered an entire family of wood
mice. Moosebrds were at first the easiest
for him TO stalk, and he killed three
Then he encountered an crmine. and the
fierce little white outlaw of the forests
gave him his first defeat Defeat cooled
his ardor for a few days, but taught him
the great lesson that there were other
fanscd and flcsh-eating animals besides
himself, and that nature had so schemed
things that fang must not prey upon
iang-for food. Many things had been
born in him.
lnstinctively he summed the porcupiuc
without experiencing the torture of it's
quills. He came face so face with a
fisher-cat one day, a fortnight after nlr
fight with the crmine. Both were seeking
food, and ms there was no food between
them to fight over each went his own way.
Farther and farther Ba-ree ventured
from the windfall, always following he
creek Sometimes he was gone for hours
At first Gray Wolf was restless when he
was away, but she selGom went with him
and after time her restlessncss left her.
Nature was working swiftly, 1t was Kn-
zan who was restless now. Moonlight
nights had come and the wandcrlust was
growing more and more insistent in MS
veins. And Gray Wolf, too, was filled
with the strange longing to roam at large
out into the big world.
Came then the afternoon when Ba-ree
went on his longest hunt. Half mile
away he killed his first rabbit lie rr-
mained beside 1t until dusk The moon
rose, big and golden, flooding the forests
and plains and ridges with n light almost
like that of day. 1t was n glorious night
And. Ba-rcc found the moon. and left his