Gilpin observer., 1918-04-04
jonas hand. clutched his ann.

Joaos hands clutched his armA
ut wasn't Kazan," she said. n
would recognize his voice. But II
seemed to me it was like the other
the call that came that morning from
the sand-bar. his mater"
The man was thinking. Joan's fin.
gers tightened. She was breathing q
little quickly.
"Will you promise me this?" she
asked, "Will you promise me that YOU
will never hunt or trap for wolves p
II had thought Of that" he replied.
Il thought Of it-after heard the call,
Yes, will promise"
JOan's arms stole up about his neck
ave loved Kazan," she whispered.
"And you might kill him-or her"
Suddenly she stopped. Both listened
The door was little ajar, and to
them there came again the wailing
mate-call Of the wolf. Joan ran to the
door. Her husband followed. Togeth.
er they stood silent, and with tense
breath Joan pointed over the starlit
plain.
Listen! Listenl" she commanded
ITS her cry, and it came from the
Sun Rock!"
She ran out into the night, forget
ting that the man was close behind her
now, forgetting that little Joan was
alone In her bed. And to them, from
miles and miles across the plain, there
came wailing cry in answer-a cry
that seemed part of the wind, and
that thrilled Joan until her breath
broke in strange sob.
Farther out on the plain she went
and then stopped, with the golden
glow Of the autumn moon and the stars
shimmering in her hair and eyes. 1t
was many minutes before the cry came
again, and then it was so near that
Joan put her hands to her mouth, and
her cry rang out over the plain as in
the days Of old.
''KaZan! Kazan! Kazanw
At the top of the Sun Rock, Gray
Wolf-gaunt and thinned by starva-
tion-heard the woman's cry, and the
call that was in her throat died away
in whine. And to the north swiftly
moving shadow stopped for moment,
and stood like a thing of rock under
the starlight. 1t was Kazan. A strange
fire leaped through his body. Every
fiber of his brute understanding was
afire with the knowledge that here was
home. 1t was here, long ago, that he
had lived, and loved, and fought-and
all at once the dreams that had grown
faded and indistinct in his memory
came back to him as real living things.
For. coming to him family over the
plain, he heard Joan's voicel
In the starlight Joan stood, tense
and white, when from out of the pale
mists of the moon-glow he came to
her, cringing on his belly, ps- ing and
wind-run, and with strange whining
note in his throat. And as Joan went
to him, her arms reaching out, her lips
sobbing his name over and over again,
the man stood and looked down upon
them with the wonder of a new and
greater understanding In his face. He
had no fear Of the wolf-dog now. And
as Joan's arms Rugged Kazan's great
shaggy head up to her he heard the
whining gaspdng joy of the beast and
the sObbing whispering voice of the
he faced the Sun Rock.
"Good heavens !" he breathed I be-
lieve-it's So"
AS If In response to the thought In
his mind, there came once more across
the plain Gray VOLTS mate-seeking
cry Of grief and of loneliness. Swiftly
as though struck by lash Kazan was
on his feet-oblivious of Joan's touch,
of her voice, of the presence of the
man. In another instant he was gone,
and joan flung herself against her
husbands breast, and almost fiercely
took his face between her two hands.
"Now do you believer" she cried
pantlngly. "Now do you believe in the
God of my world-the God have lived
with, the God that gives souls to the
wild things, the God that-that has
brought-us ll-together-once more
-home!"
His arms closed gently about her.
Il believe, my JOAN" he whispered.
And you understand-now-wh
1t means, Thou shalt not klllr"
Except that 1t brings us life-yes,
understand" he replied.
Her warm, soft hands stroked his
face. Her blue eyes. filed with the
glory of the stars, looked up into his.
"Kazan and she-you and land
the baby! Are you sorry-that we
came back?" she asked.
So close he drew her against his
breast that she did not hear the words
he whispered in the soft warmth of
her hair. And after that, for many
hours, they sat in the starlight in
front Of the cabin door. But they did
not hear again that lonely cry from
the Sun Rock. Joan and her husband
understood.
Hell visit us again tomorrow" the
man said at last. "Come, Joan, let us
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