The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1917-08-09
CHAPTER IV.-continued.

After that cry Kazan sat for a long
time on his launches, shifting the new
freedom of the air, and watching the
deep black pits in the forest about him,
as they faded away before dawn. Now
and then, since the day the traders had
! first bought him and put him into
isledge-traces away over on the Macken-
zie, he had often thought of his free
| dom lOngingly. the wolf blood in him
| urging him to take II. But he had
never quite dared. 1t thrilled him now
! There were no clubs here no whips
none of the man-beaSts whom he had
first learned TO diStrust. and then to
hate. 1t was his misforune-that
quaFter-strain of wolf: and the clubs,
instead of subduing him, had added to
the Savagery that was born in him
Men had been his worst enemies. They
had beaten him time and again until he
was almost dead. They called him
bad" and stepped wide of him. and
never missed the chance 10 snap a
whip over his back His body was COW
cred with scars they had given him.
He had never felt kindness. or love.
until the first night the woman had put
her warm little hand on his head. and
had struggled her face close down TO
his, while Thorpe-her husband-had
cried out in horror He had almost
buried his fangs in her white flesh. but
in an instant her gentle touch. and her
sweet voice, had sent through him that
wonderful thrill that was his first
knowledge of love. And now il was
man who was driving him from her.
away from the hand that had never
held Il club or whip, and he growled
as he trotted deeper into the forest
He came to the edge of a swamp as
day broke. For a time he had been
filled with a strange uneasinesS. and
light did not quite dispel it. At last
he was free of men. He could detect
nothing that reminded him of their
hated presence in the air. But neither
could he smell the presence of other
dogs. of the sledge. the fire of compan-
ionShip and food, and so far back as he
could remember they had always been
a part of his life.
Here it was very quiet. The swamp
lay in d hollow between two ridge
and the spruce and cedar |
grew low and thick-So thick that /
there was almost no snow under them. |
and the day was like twilight. Two !.
things he began to miss more than all I
and company. Both the I
wolf and the dog that was in him de- /
manded the first, and that part of him .
that was dog lOnged for the latter. To .
both desires the wolf blood that was .
strong in him rose responsibility. 1t told .
him that somewhere in this silent
world between the two ridges there
was companionship, and thar all he
had to do 10 find it was to sit back on
his launches, and cry out his loneli-
ness. More than once something trem-
pIed in his deep chest, rose in his
throat. and ended there in a whine. 1t
vas the wolf howl, not yet quite born.
Food came more easily than voice.
Toward midday he cornered big
white rabbit under log. and killed it. Il
The warm flesh and blood was better
han frozen fish, or tallow and bran,
md the feast he had gave him conf
lence. That afternoon he chased many
'abbits, and killed two more. Until
low, he had never known the delight of
and killing ut will, even ,
hough he did not eat all he killed.
But there was no fight in the rab- ,
its They died too easily. They were I
cry sweet and tender to eat. when he
vas hungry, but the first thrill of kill :
ne them passed away after time. He I
wanted something bigger. He no long 4
T skunk along as If he were afraid, OF 4
s if he wanted 20 remain hidden. He +
ED his head up. His back briStled. :
lis tail swung free and buShy, like u r
offs. Every hair in his body quiv- n
red with the electric energy of life :
nd action. He travelled north and =
'eSt. 1t was the call of early days a
he days away up on the Mackenzie. II
he Mackenzie was thousand miles
way. :,
He came upon many trails in the Il
low that day, and shifted the scents d
# by the hoofs of moose and caribou. 7
nd the fur-padded feet of lynx He h
allowed a fox. and the trail led him TO IL
place shut in by tall spruce, where Il
ie snow was beaten down and red lie
med with blood. There was an owls II
,ad, feathers, wings and entrailS lying cl
're. AM he knew that there were W