Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1917-11-02
CHAPTER u.
Into the North.


He missed the daily strife Of keeping
his teammates in trace, the yapping
at his heels, the straight, long pull
over the open spaces and the barrens.
He missed the "Koosh-koosh-Hoo
yah !" of the driver, the spiteful snap
Of his twenty-foot caribou-gut whip,
and that yelping and straining behind
him that told him he had his followers
in line. But something had come to
take the place Of that which he missed.
1t was In the room, in the air all about
him, even when the girl or his mas
ter was not near. Wherever she had
been, he found the presence of that
strange thing that took away his
loneliness. 1t was the woman scent,
and sometimes 1t made him whine
softly when the girl herself was actu-
ally with him. He was not lonely,
nights, when he should have been out
bowling at the stars. He was not
lonely, because one night he prowled
about until he found a certain door,
and when the girl opened that door In
the morning she found him curled up
tight against it. She had reached
down and Rugged him, the thick
smother Of her long hair falling all
over him in a delightful perfume;
thereafter she placed a rug before the
door for him to sleep on. All through
the long nights he knew that she was
just beyond the door, and he was con-
tent. Each day he thought less and
less of the wild places and more OF
her.
Then there came the beginning Of
| the change. There was a strange
hurry and excitement around him, and
| the girl paid less attention to him. He
grew uneasy. He shifted the change
| in the air, and he began to study his
masters face. Then there came the
morning, very early, when the babiche
collar and the iron chain were fas-
tened to him again. Not until he had
followed his master out through the
door and into the street did he begin
to understand. They were sending him
away! He sat suddenly back on his
launches and refused to bulge.
| "Come, Kazan," coaxed the man.
"COme on, boy"
He hung back and showed his white
fangs. He expected the lash of whip
or the blow of a club, but neither came.
His master laughed and took him back
to the house. When they left it again,
the girl was with them and walked
with her hand touching his head. 1t
was she who persuaded him to leap up
through big, dark hole into the still
darker interior Of a car, and it was she
who lured him to the darkest corner
of all, where his master fastened his
chain. Then they went out, laughing
like two children. For hours after
that Kazan lay still and tense, listen
ing to the queer rumble Of wheels
under him. Several times those wheels
stopped, and he heard voices outside.
At last he was sure that he heard q
familiar voice, and he strained at his
chain and whined. The closed door
slid back. A man with a lantern
He paid no attention to them, but
glared out through the opening into
the gloom Of night. He almost broke
loose when he leaped down upon the
white snow, but when he saw no one
there, he stood rigid, shifting the air.
Over him were the stars he had
howled at all his life, and about him
were the forests, black and silent,
shutting them in like a wall. Vainly
he sought for that one scent that was
missing and Thorpe heard the low
note of grief in his shaggy throat. He
took the lantern and held 1t above his
head, at the same time loosening bis
hold on the leash. At that signal there
came voice out Of the night. It came
from behind them, and Kazan whirled
SO suddenly that the loosely held
chain slipped from the mans hand.
He saw the glow Of other lanterns.
And then, once more, the voice
"Kaa-aa-san
He was of like a bolt. Thorpe
laughed to himself as he followed.
1.-THE old piratel" he chuckled.
When he came to the Authenticated
space back Of the caboose. Thorpe
found Kaxan crouching down at {
woman's feet. It was Thorpe's wife
She smiled triumphantly at him ~ hi
came mp ont Of the gloom.
81 "Yousve wont" he laughed. not I'M
, happily. sd have wagered my las'
! dollar he wouldn't do that for anJ
I voice on earth. You've wont Ka1An
you brute. I've lost you'll"
4 HIS face suddenly sobered a. Isobs
{ stopped TO pick up the end Of TIN
chain.
: Hes yours, Issy," he added quickly
q sbut you must let me care for him I'M
j tl-we know. Give me the chain.
p won't trust him even now. Hes q wolf
!. I've seen him take an Indians hant
> OF at q single snap. I've seen hin
{ tear out another dogs jugulaY In on
Q leap. Hes an outlaw bad dog-il
o spite of the fact that he hung to M
q Like q hero and brought me out alive
d can't trust him. Give me the chain
q He did not finish. With the snarl o