Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-12-26


and she hated it. 1t took Kazan from
her. And wherever 1t went, Kazan
followed.
Night after night it robbed her OF
her mate, and left her to wander alone
under the stars and the moon, keeping
faithfully to her loneliness, and never
once responding with her own tongue
to the hunt-calls of her wild brothers
and sisters in the forests and out on
the plains. Usually sine would snarl al
the Voice, and sometimes nip Kazan
lightly to show her displeasure. But
today, as the Voice came a third time,
she skunk back into the darkness of q
assure between two rocks, and Kazan
saw only the fiery glow Of her eyes.
Kazan ran 'nervously to the trail
their feet had worn up to the top OF
the Sun rock. and stood undecided. AL
day, and yesterday, he had been I'M.
easy and disturbed. Whatever 1t was
that stirred him seemed to be In the
air, for he could not see 1t or hear II
or scent 1t. But he could feel 1t. He
went to the fissure and shifted at Gray
.
But her response today was to draw
back her lips until he could see her
white fangs.
A fourth time the Voice came to
them family, and she snapped fiercely
at some unseen thing In the darkness
between the two rocks. Kazan went
again to the trail, still hesitating. Then
he began to go down. 1t was a mar.
row, winding trail, worn only by the
pads and claws of animals, for the Sun
rock was a huge crag that rose almost
sheer up for q hundred feet above the
tops of the spruce and balsam, its bald
crest catching the first CLEANS Of the
sun in the morning and the last glow
of it in the evening. Gray Wolf had
first led Kazan to the security Of the
retreat at the top of the rock.
When he reached the bottom he nc
longer hesitated. but darted swiftly in
the direction Of the cabin. Because
Of that instinct of the wild that was
still in him, he always approached the
cabin with caution. He never gave
warning, and for moment Joan was
startled when she looked up from hel
baby and saw Kazan's shaggy head
and shoulders In the open door. The
baby struggled and kicked in her de
light, and held out her two hands with
cooling cries to Kazan. Joan, too, hello
out hand.
"Kazan!" she cried softly. "Coms
in, KazanI"
Slowly the wild red light In Kazan's
eyes softened. He put forefoot OF
the sill. and stood there, while the CIR
urged him again. Suddenly his legs
seemed to sink little.snder him. his
tail dropped and he skunk In with thai
doggish air of having committed 9
crime. The creatures he loved were
In the cabin, but the cabin itself hi
hated. He hated all cabins, for they
all breathed of the club and the whiI
bondage. Like all the sledge-dogs, he
preferred the open snow for bed, anc
the spruce-tops for shelter.
Joan dropped her hand to his head
and at its touch there thrilled through
him that strange Joy that was his re
wild. Slowly he raised his head unit
his black muzzle rested on her lap, anC
he closed his eyes while that wonder
full little creature that mystified hin
so-the baby-prodded him with he
tiny feet, and pulled his tawny hair
He loved these baby-maulings ever
more than the touch of Joan's hand.
Motionless, sphinxlike, undemonstra
tive in every muscle of his body, Ka
Fan stood, scarcely breathing. Nor,
than once this lack of demonstration
had urged Joan's husband to warn her
But the wolf that was In Kazan, hi
wild aloofness, even his mating witt
! Gray Wolf had made her love hin
more. She understood, and had faitl
, in him.
In the days of the last snow Kazal
had proved himself. A neighborin
, trapper had run over with his team
, and the baby Joan had toddled up t
, one of the big huskies. There was
fierce snap of jaws, a scream Of horro
, from Joan, shout from the men a
, they leaped toward the pack. But Ka
) zan was ahead of them all. In a gra,
, streak that Travelled with the speed O
, a bullet he was at the big husky
throat. When they pulled him off, tn
r husky was dead. Joan thought Of tina
now, as the baby kicked and tousle'
, Kazan's head.