Evening star., 1924-08-07

CONTINUED from Yesterdays Starr
And then the cub saw his mother,
the she wolf, the fearless one, crouch
ing down till her belly touched the
ground, whimpering, wagging her
tail making peace signs. The cub could
not understand He was appalled,.
The awe of man rushed over him
as ain. His instinct had been true.
His mother verified 1t. She, too, rem
dered submission to the man-ani-
mails.
The man who had spoken came
over to her. He put his hand upon
her head, and she only crouched
closer. She did not snap, or threaten
to snap. The other men came up, and
surrounded her, and felt her, and
paved her, which actions she made
no attempt to resent. They were
greatly excited and made many
noises with their mouths. These
noises were not indications of dan
ger, the cub decided, as he crouched
near his mother. still bristling from
time to time, but doing his best to
submit.
1T is not strange" an Indian was
saying. Her father was a wolf. 1t
is true, her mother was a dog; but
did not my brother tie her out in
the woods all of three nights in the
mating season? Therefore was the
father of kiche wolf"
TT is a year, Gray Beaver. since
she ran away" spoke second In
dian.
1T is not strange, Salmon Tongue"
Gray Beaver answered. 1T was the
time of the famine, and there was
no meat for the dogs"
She has lived with the wolves"
said a third Indian.
$50 it would seem. Three Eagles"
Gray Beaver answered, laying his
hand on the cub; and this be the
sign of it."
The cub snarled a little at the
touch of the hand. and the hand flew
back to administer a clout. Where
upon the cub covered its fangs and
sank down submissively, while the
hand, returning, rubbed behind his
ears, and up and down his back
This be the sign of it, Gray
Beaver went on. 1T is plain that his
mother is Kiche. But his father was
a wolf Wherefore is there in him
little dog and much wolf. His fangs
be white, and White Fang shall be
his name I have spoken. He is my
dog. For was not kiche my brothers
dog? And is not my brother dead?"
The cub, who had thus received a
name in the world, lay and watched.
For time the man-animals contin-
ued to make their mouth noises.
Then Gray Beaver took a knife from
sheath that hung around his neck
stick. White Fang watched him. He
notched the stick at each end and in
the notches fastened strings of raw
hide. One string he tied around the
throat of Kiche. Then he led her to
a small pine. around which he tied
the other string.
White Fang followed and lay down
beside her. Salmon Tongues hand
reached out to him and rolled him
over on his back. Kiche looked on
anxiously. White Fang felt fear
mounting in him again. He could not
no offer to snap. The hand, with
fingers crooked and spread apart.
rubbed his stomach in a playful way
and rolled him from side to side. 1t
was ridiculous and ungainly, lying
there on his back with legs sprawl
ing in the air Besides. it was a po-
sftion of such utter helplessness that
White Fang's whole nature revolted
against 1T. He could do nothing to
defend himself. If this man animal
Intended harm, White Fang knew
that he could not escape it. How
could he spring away with his four
legs in the air above him? Yet sub
mission made him master his fear.
and he only growled softly This
growl he could not suppress: nor did
the man animal resent it by giving
him blow on the head. And fur
thermore. such was the strangeness
OF 1t, White Fang experienced an
unaccountable sensation of pleasure
as the hand rubbed back and forth
When he was rolled on his side he
ceased the growl: when the fingers
pressed and prodded at the base of
his ears the pleasurable sensation in
creased; and when, with a final rub
and scratch. the man left him alone
and went away, all fear had died out
of White Fang. He was to know
! H., IT.