Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1917-07-25
,JOan's hands clutched as arms.

tIC YAH tlidl NiIS tI1ot Iio INNS HUN
the sand-bar, his mate?"
The nan was thinking. Joan's fin
gers frightened. She was breathing a
little quickly.
"Will you promise me this?" she
asked, "Will you promise me that you
81 had thought of that" he replied.
II thought of it-after l heard the call.
Yes, l will promise"
Joan's arms stole up about his neck,
1--WE loved Kazan," she whispered.
"And you might kill him-or her"
Suddenly she stopped. Both listened.
The door was a little ajar, and to
them there came again the wailing
mate-call of the wolf. Joan ran to the
door. Her husband followed. Togeth-
err they stood silent, and with tense
breath Joan pointed over the starlit
plain.
Listen! LISTEN" she commanded.
cts her cry, and it came from the
Sun Rock!"
She ran out into the night, forget
ting that the man was close behind her
now, forgetting that little Joan was
alone in her bed. And to them, from
miles and miles across the plain, there
came a waillng cry in ansWer-a cry
that seemed a part of the wind, and
that thrilled Joan until her breath
broke in a strange sob.
Farther out on the plain she went
n then stopped, with the golden
glow of the autumn moo and the stars
S~himmering in her hair and eyes. Tt
was many minutes Before the cry came
again, and then it was so near that
Joan put her hands to her mouth, and
her cry rang out V e The plain as in
the days of old.
"KaZnn! KHzan! Kazanr'
At the top of the Sun Rock, Gray
Wolf-Galnt and thinned by starya-
tion-hrHrd the Wonan'S cry. and the
call that was in her throat died away
in a whine. And to the north ii swiftly
moving shadow stopped for a moment,
and stood like a thing OF rock under
the starlight. 1t was kazan. \ strange
fire leappd through his body. Every
fiber of his brute understanding was
afire with the knowledge that here was
home. 1t was here. long ago, that he
had lived, and loved, and fOught-and
all at once the dreams that had grown
faded and indiStinct in his memory
came back to him as real living things.
For, coming to hi.l family over the
plain, he heard Joan'S voice!
In the starlight Joan stood, tense
and white, when from out of the pale
miStS of the moOn-gloW he came to
her, cringing on his belly, painting and
Wind-run, and with Il strange whining
note in his throat. And as Joan vent
to him, her arms reaching out, her lips
sHbbing his name oVe and owe again,
the man stood and looked down upon
them with the wonder of a new and
greater understanding in his face. He
had no fear of the WOlf-d0g now. And
as Joan'S arms Rugged KaZan'S great
shaggy head up to her he heard the
whining g@asIdng JOY of the beast ana
the sobbing whispering voice of the
girl, and with tcnscly sripped hands
he faced the Sun Rock.
Good heavens." he breathod 81 be
lieve-it'S So"
AS if in response to the thought in
his mind, there came once more across
the plain Gray VOLTS understanding
cry Of grief and of loneliness. Swiftly
as though struck by q lash Kazan was
on his feet-obliyious Of Joan's touch,
of her voice, of the presence of the
man. In another instant he was o
and Joan flung herself against her
husbands breast, and almost f~iorceIy
took his face between her two hands.
"Now do you believer" she cried
panting!y. "Now do you believe in the
God of my world-the God I have lived
with, the God hat gives souls to the
wild things, the God that-that has
brOught-us all-tOgether-once more
homer"
His arms closed gently about her.
Il believe, my joan" he whispered.
"And you ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
it means, Thou shalt not kip"
Except that it brings US life-yes,
[ understand" he replied.
Her warm, soft hands stroked his
face. Her blue eyes, filled with the
glory of the stars, looked up into his.
"Kazan and she-you and land
the baby! Are you sorry-that we
came back?" she asked.
SO close he drew her against his
breast that she did not hear the words
he whispered in the soft warmth of
her hair. And after that. for many
hours, they sat in the starlight in
front of the cabin door. But they did
not hear again that lonely cry from
the Sun Rock. Joan and her husband
understood.
He'll visit us again tomorrow" the
mar said at last. "Come, Joan. let US
go to bed"
Together they entered the cabin
And that night, side by side, Kazan
and Gray Wolf hunted again in the
moonlit plain.
THE END.
A NeM Nrao+io,