Gilpin observer., 1918-02-14
CHAPTER xI-continued.

CHAPTER xI-continued.
-11-
Gray Wolf was no longer in the
moonlight. Close to the two rocks lay
the limp lifeless little bodies Of the
three pups. The lynx had torn them
to pieces. With whine Of grief Ka-
Fan approached the two boulders and
thrust his head between them. Gray
Wolf was there, crying to herself in
that terrible sobbing way. He went
In, and began to lick her bleeding
shoulders and head. All the rest Of
that night she whimpered with pain.
With dawn she dragged herself out to
the lifeless little bodies ON the rock.
And then Kazan saw the terrible
work Of the lynx. For Gray Wolf was
blind-not for a day or a night. but
blind for all time. A gloom that no
sun could break had become her
shroud. And perhaps again it was
that instinct Of animal creation, which
often is more wonderful than mans
reason, that told Kazan what had hap
pened. For he knew now that she was
creatures that had gamboled in the
moonlight few hours before. He re-
manned close beside her all that day.
Vainly that day did Joan call for
Kazan. Her voice rose to the Sun
Rock, and Gray VOLTS head Struggled
closer to Kazan, and Kazan's ears
dropped back, and he licked her
wounds. Late in the afternoon Kazan
left Gray Wolf long enough to run to
the bottom Of the trail and bring up
the snow-shoe rabbit. Gray Wolf muz-
zled the fur and flesh, but would not
eat. Still little later Kazan urged
her to follow him to the trail. He no
longer wanted to stay at the top of the
Sun Rock, and he no longer wanted
Gray Walt to stay there. Step by step
he drew her down the winding path
away from her dead puppies. She
would move only when he was very
near her-so near that she could touch
his SCARED flank with her nose.
They came at last to the point In the
trail where they had to leap down a
distance Of three or four feet from the
edge Of a rock, and here Kazan saw
how utterly helpless Gray Wolf had
become. She whined, and crouched
twenty times before she dared make
the spring, and then she jumped stiff.
legged, and fell In heap at Kazan's
fest. After this Kazan did not have
to urge her SO hard, for the fall i'm
ptnged on her the fact that she was
safe only when her muzzle touched her
mates flank. She followed him obedi-
emily when they reached the plain,
tr0tting with her foreshoulder to his
hip.
kazan was heading for thicket In
the creek bottom half mile away,
and a dozen times In that short dis
lance Gray Wolf stumbled and fell.
And each time that she fell Kazan
learned little more of the limitations
Of blindness. Once he sprang of in
pursuit Of a rabbit. but he had not
taken twenty leaps when he stopped
and looked back. Gray Wolf had not
moved an inch.
All that day they remained In the
thicket. In the afternoon he visited
the cabin. Joan and her husband were
there, and both saw at once Kazan's
torn side and his lacerated head and
shoulders
"Pretty near a finish fight for him"
said the man, after he had examined
him. 1T was either lynx or a bear.
Another wolf could not do that"
For half an hour Joan worked over
him. talking to him all the time, and
fondling him with her soft hands. She
bathed his wounds In warm water, and
then covered them with a healing salve,
and Kaxan was filled again with that
old restful desire to remain with her
always, and never to go back into the
forests. For an hour she let him lie
on the edge Of her dress, with his nose
touching her foot, while she worked on
baby things. Then she rose to prepare
supper. and Kaxan got up-a little
wearily-and went to the door. Gray
Wolf and the gloom Of the night were
calling him, and he answered that call
with SLOUGH Of his SHOULDERS and &
dropping head. Its old thrill was gop g
He watched his chance, and went cul
through the door. The moon had riseG
when he rejoined Gray Wolf. Sh,
GSoeted his retarn with low whine o.
jey. and mnn11e1 - with her blint