Gilpin observer., 1917-12-06
CHAPTER !.
The Miracle.


Kazan lay mute and motionless, his
gray nose between his forepaws, his
eyes hall cioseo. Yet every drop of
the wild blood IL his splendid body
was racing In a ferment Of excitement,
every nerve and fiber Of his wonder
full muscles was tense as steel wire.
cuarter-strain wolf, three-quarters
"husBy' he had lived the four years
CT his life in the wilderness. He had
what IL meant to freeze. He had
listened to the wailing winds Of the
long Arctic night over the barrens. His
throat and sides were SCARED by bat.
tie. and his eyes were red with the
blister of the SHOWS. He was called
Kazan, the Wild Dog, because he was
giant among his kind and as fear
less, even, as the men who drove him
through the perlls of frozen world.
He had never known fear-until
now. He had never felt in him before
the desire to run-not even on that
terrible day in the forest when he had
fought and killed the big gray lynx.
1t was his first glimpse of civilization.
He wished that his master would come
back into the strange room where he
had left him. 1t was a room filled with
hideous things. There were great hui
man faces on the wall, but they did
not move or speak, but stared at him
in a way he had never seen people
look before.
Suddenly Kazan lifted his ears q
little. He heard steps, then low voices.
One of them was his masters voice.
But the other-it sent a little tremor
through him! Once, so long ago that
IT must have been in his puppyhood
days, he seemed to have had a dream
of laugh that was like the girls
filled with wonderful happiness, the
thrill of wonderful love, and a
sweetness that made Kazan lift his
head us they came in. He looked
straight at them. his red eyes gleam-
ing. At once he knew that she must
be dear to his MASTER for his masters
arm was about her. In the glow Of
the light he saw that her hair was
sery bright, and that there was the
II
her face and the blue of the bak-
neesh flower in her shining eyes. Sud-
denly she saw him, and with little
cry darted toward him.
"Stopw shouted the man. "He's
dangerous! Kazan-"
She was on her knees beside him, all
fluffy and sweet and beautiful. her
eyes shining wonderfully. He saw the
man running forward, pale as death.
the touch sent thrill through him
that qulvered in every nerve of his
body. With both hands she turned up
his head. Her face was very close
and he heard her say. almost sob
bingly:
"And you are Kazan-dear old Ka,
zan, my Kazan, my hero dog-whc
brought him home to me when all the
others had died My Kazan-my
herov
And then, miracle of miracles, hei
face was crushed down against him
and he felt her sweet, warm touch.
In those moments Kaznn did NO
move. He scarcely breathed. 1t seemed
long time before the girl lifted hei
face from him And when she did
there were tears in her blu. eyes, ant
the man was standing above them, hi,
hands gripped tight. his jaws set.
81 never knew him to let anyon,
touch him--wlth their naked hand" h,
said In a tense, wondering voice
''Move back quickly. Isobel. GOOt
heaven-look ut that!"
Kazan whined softly, his bloodsho
eyes on the girls face. He wanted t.
feel her hand again; he wanted 4
touch her face. Would they beat hin
with . club. he wondered, II he dared