Gilpin observer., 1918-01-10
CHAPTER Vl.-continued,

-
Three hundred yards beyond that
moving blotch was the thin line of tim
Der, and Kazan and his followers bore
down swiftly. Halfway to the timber
they were almost upon it. and suddenly
1t stopped and became black and mo-
tionless shadow on the snow. From out
Of 1t there leaped that lightning tongue
Of flame that Kazan had always dread
ed. and he heard the kissing song Of
the death-bee over his head. He did
not mind 1t now. He yelped sharply,
and the wolves raced in until four of
them were neck-and-neck with him.
A second flash-and the death-bee
drove from breast to tail Of huge
gray fighter close to Gray Wolf. A
third-a fourth-a fifth squirt Of that
fire from the black shadow, and Kazan
himself felt sudden swift passing of
a red-hot thing along his shoulder,
where the mans last bullet shaved Off
the hair and stung his flesh.
Three of the pack had gone down un-
der the fire Of the rifle, and half Of
the others were swinging to the right
ahead. Faithfully Gray Wolf followed
him.
The sledge-dogs had been freed from
their traces, and before he could reach
the man, whom he saw with his rifle
held like a club In his hands, Kazan
was met by the fighting mass of them.
He fought like fiend, and there was
the strength and the fierceness of two
mates in the mad gnashing of Gray
VOLTS fangs. Kazan wanted to reach
the man who held the rifle, and he
freed himself from the fighting mass Of
the dogs and sprang to the sledge. For
the first time he saw that there was
something human on the sledge, and in
ON instant he was upon it. He buried
his jaws deep. They sank in something
soft and hairy, and he opened them for
another lunge. And then he heard the
voice! 1t was her voice! Every muscle
in his body stood still. He became sud-
denly like flesh turned to lifeless stone.
Her voice; the bear rug was thrown
back and what had been hidden under
1t he saw clearly now in the light Of
the moon and the stars. In him instinct
worked more swiftly than human brain
could have given birth to reason. 1t
was not she. But the voice was the
same, and the white girlish face so
close to his own blood-reddened eyes
held In 1t that same mystery that he
had learned to love. And he saw now
that which she was clutching to her
breast, and there came from 1t a
strange thrilling cry.
In flash he turned. He snapped at
Gray VOLTS flank and she dropped
away with startled yelp. 1t had all
happened in a moment, but the man
was almost down. Kazan leaped under
his dubbed rifle and drove into the
face of what was left of the pack. His
fangs cut like knives. II he had fought
like demon against the dogs, he
fought like ten demons now, and the
man-bleeding and ready to fall-stag-
gered back to the sledge, marveling at
what was happening. For in Gray
Wolf there was now the instinct Of
matehood, and seeing Kazan tearing
and fighting the pack she Joined him in
the struggle which she could not un-
derstand.
When 1t was over, Kazan and Gray
Wolf were alone out on the plain. The
pack had skunk away into the night,
and the same moon and stars that had
given to Kazan the first knowledge Of
his birthright told him now that no
longer would those wild brothers Of
the plains respond to his call when he
howled into the sky.
He was hurt. And Gray Wolf was
hurt, but not so badly as Kazan. He
wac form and bleeding. One Of his legs
was terribly bitten. After a time he
saw IRE in the edge Of the forest. The
odd call was strong upon him. He
wanted to crawl in to 1t, and feel the
girls hand on his head, as he had fel,
that other hand in the world beyond
the ridge. He would have gone-ant
would have urged Gray Wolf to &C
With him-but the man was there. HI
pAined. and Gray Wolf thrust hsl