Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-05-10

deathly white. "That man was be-
hind me-" she went on, clutching her
husband by the arm. II felt him touch
me-and then Kazan sprang. He
wouldn't bite me. It's the man
There's somethlng-wrOng-"
She was almost sobbing, and Thorpe
drew her close In his arms.
II hadn't thought before-but it's
strange" he said. "Didn't McCready
say something about knowing the dogf
It's possible. Perhaps he's had Kazan
before and abused him In q way that
the dog has not forgotten. Tomorrow
I'll find out. But until ] know-win
you promise to keep away from Ka-
zan7"
Isobei gave the promise. When they
came out from the tent Kazan lifted
his great head. The singing lash had
closed one Of his eyes and his mouth
was dripping blood. Isobel gave low
sob, but did not 60 near him. Half
blinded, he knew that his mistress had
stopped his punishment, and he whined
softly, and wagged his thick tail In the
snow.
Never had he felt so miserable as
through the long hard hours Of the day
that followed, when he broke the trail
for his teammates into the North. One
of his eyes was closed and filed with
singing fire, and his body was sore
from the blows Of the caribou lash.
But 1t was not physical pain that gave
the sullen droop to his head and robbed
his body Of that keen quick alertness
Of the lead-dog-the commander OF his
mates. It was his spirit. For the first
time in his life, It was broken. Nc
Cready had beaten hlm-long ago; his
master had beaten him; and during all
this day their voices were fierce and
vengeful In his ears. But 1t was his
mistress who hurt him most. She held
aloof from him, always beyond the
reach of his leash; and when they
stopped to rest, and again in camp, she
looked at him with strapge and Won
dering eyes, and did not speak. She,
too, was ready to beat him. He believed
that, and that night he lurked in one
Of the deepest shadows about the camp
fire and grieved alone. None knew that
It was grief-unless It was the girl.
She did not move toward him. She
did not speak to him. But she watched
him closely-and studied him hardest
when he was looking at McCready.
Later, after Thorpe and his wife
had gone into their tent, 1t began to
snow, and the effect Of the snow upon
McCready puzzled Kazan. The man
was restless, and he drank frequently
from the flask that he had used the
night before. In the freight his face
grew redder and redder, and Kazan
could see the strange CLEAN Of his
teeth as he gazed at the tent In which
his mistress was sleeping. Again and
again he went close to that tent, and
listened. Twice he heard movement.
The last time, It was the sound Of
Thorpe's deep breathing. McCreauy
hurried back to the FIRE and turned his
face straight up to the sky. The snow
was falling 80 thickly that when he
lowered his face he bllnked and wiped
his eyes. Then he went into the gloom
and bent low over the trail they had
made a fewih hours before. It was al
most obliterated by the falling snow.
Another hour and there would be no
traIl-nothIng the next day to tell who
ever might pass that they had come
this way. By morning It would cover
everything, even the FIRE, II he allowed
It 70 die down. McCready drank again
out IN the darkness. Low words Of an
insane Joy burst from his lips HIS
had vas not with a drunksn Are. HIS
-.