The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-07-26
Free From Bonds.
CHAPTER ~.

the Forest. FOR hours ne Ius utdl IL
camp, his red and blistered eyes gaz-
ing steadily at the tent wherein the ter
rible thing had happened a little while
before.
He knew now what death was. He
could tell IL farther thar man. He
could smell II In the air. And he knew
that there was death all about him..
and that he was the cause Of IL. lie
lay on his belly in the deep snow and
shivered, and the th~ree-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 ~vengeful glare Of his
eyes.
Three times the man-his master
came out OF the tent, and shouted loud
ly, "Kazan-Kazan-Kazan!"
Three times the woman anne with
him. In the freight Kazan could see
her shining 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. "KaZan-Ka2an-
Kazan and all that part OF him that
was dog, and not wolf, trembled JOY
ously M the sound OF her voice, and he
almost crept In 10 take his beating. But
fear Of the club was the greater, and
he held back, hour after hour, until
now 1t was silent again In the tent,
and he could no longer see their shad-
Ows, and the fire was dying down.
Cautiously he crept out from the
thick gloom. working his way on his
belly toward the packed sledge, and
what remained OF the burned logs. Be
yond that sledge. hidden in the dark
ness Of the trees, was the body of the
man he had killed. covered with Il
blanket. Thorpe, his master, had
dragged ii there.
He lay down, with his nose TO the
warm Goals and his eyes leveled be
tween his forepaws, straight at the
closed tent-tlap. He meant 70 keep
awake, 10 watch. 10 be ready to stink
off into the forest at the first move
ment there. But Il warmth was rising
from out Of the gray ash Of the fire.
bed. and his eyes closed. Twicc-three
times-he fought himself back into
w~atchfulness but the last time his
eyes came only half open, aud closed
heavily again.
In his sleep he vas leaping again AT
the end Of his chain. His jaws snapped
ILL.,. 80 - ataL1 nnI 81. .trnl
awakened him, and he sprang to his
feet, his spine as stiff as a brush, and
his snarling fangs barred like ivory
knives. He had awakened Just In time.
There was movement In the tent. His
master was awake, and If he did not
escape
He sped swiftly into the thick spruce,
and paused, fiat and hidden. with only
his head showing from behind a tree.
He knew that his master would not
spare him. Three times Thorpe had
beaten him for swapping al McCready.
The last time he would have shot him
If the girl had not saved him. And
now he had torn McCready's throat.
He had taken the life from him. and
his master would not spare him. Even
the omar could not ave him.
Kazan was sorry that his master had
returned, daZed and bleeding, after he
had torn McCready's jugular. Then he
would have had her always. She would
have loved him. She did love him. And
he would have followed her, and fought
Aor hnr alv+ay 20 aud .lf,A fn- Inr ,EB.p
the time came. But Thorpe had come
In from the forest again. and Kazan
had skunk away quickly-for Thorpe
meant TO him what all men meant 10
him now: the club, the whip and the
strange things that spat fire and death.
And now
Thorpe had come out from the tent.
II was approaching dawn. and In his
hand he held a rifle. A later
the girl came out. and her hand caught
the mans arm. They looked toward
the thing covered by the blanket. Then
she spoke to Thorpe and he suddenly
Strengthened and threw back his head.
"H-o-o-o-o - kaZan - Kazan - ka-
IAN !" he called.
A shiver ran through Kazan. The
man was trying to invelgie him back.
He had in his hand the thing that
killed.
northumberland :" he
shouted again.
KaZan sneaked cautiously back
from the tree. He knew that distance
meant nothing to the cold thing of
death that Thorpe held in his hand. He
turned his head once, and whlned soft
ly, and for an instant a great longing
filled his redeemed eyes as he saw the
last of the girl.
He knew, now, that he was leaving
her forever, and there was an ache In
his heart that had never been there be,
fore, q pain that was not of the club or
whip, Of cold or hunger, but which was
greater than them all, and which filled
him with a desire to throw back his
head and cry out his loneliness to the
gray emptiness of the sky.
Back in the camp the girls voice
--a~~~aA