Evening star., 1924-08-11

was weak with hunger The repeated
drenchings in the icy water had like
handsome coat was drasgled. The
broad pads of his f0et were bruised
and bleeding. He had begun to limp
| and this limp increased with the
hours. To make it worse, the light
of the sky was obscured and snow
began to fall-a raw. moist. melting.
cltnging snow, slippery under foot.
that hid from him the landscape he
traversed. and that covered over. the
inequalities of the ground so that the
way Of his feet was more difficult and
painful.
Gray Beaver had intended camping
that night on the far bank of the
Mackenzie, for it was in that direc-
the near bank. shortly before dark, a
moose coming down to drink, had
been espied by Kloo- -kooch, who was
Gray Beavers squaw. Now, had not
the moose come down to drink, had
not Nit sab been steering out of the
course because of the snow, had not
kloo- kooch sighted the moose and
had not Gray Beaver killed 1t with a
lucky shot from his rifle. all subse-
quent things would have happened
differently. Gray Beaver would not
have camped on the near side of the
Mackenzie, and White Fang would
have passed by and gone on, either to
die or to find his way to his wild
brothers and become one of them
a wolf to the end of mis- days.
Night had fallen. The snow was
flying more thickly. and White Fang,
whimpering softly to himself as he
stumbled and limped along. came
upon a fresh trail in the snow. So
fresh was it that he knew 1T immedi
ately for what it was. Whining with
eagerness. he followed back from the
river bank and in among. the trees.
The camp sounds came to his ears.
He saw the blaze of the fire, Kloo-
kooch cooking, and Gray Beaver
squatting on his hams and mumbling
| a chunk of raw tallow. There was
fresh meat in camp.
White Fang expected a beating. He
crouched and bristled a little at the
again. He feared and disliked the
beating he knew to be waiting for
him. But he knew, further. that the
comfort of the fire would be his, the
protection of the gods, the compan-
ionship of the dogs-the last, a COM
panionship of enmity. but none the
less companionship and satisfying
| to his gregarious needs.
He came cringeing and crawling
into the 'firelight. Gray Beaver saw
White Fang crawled slowly, cringeing
| and groveling in the abjectness of
| his abasement and submission. He
| crawled straight toward Gray Beaver
every lnCn OF MS progress DeCOmlnS
slower and more painful. At last he
| lay at the masters feet, into whose
possession he now surrendered him
self, voluntarily, body and soul. OF
his own choice he came in to sit by
mans fire and to be ruled by him.
| White Fang trembled. waiting for
| the punishment to fall upon him.
| There was a movement of the hand
above him. He cringed involuntarily
| under the expected blow. 1t did not
| fall He stole a glance upward. Gray
Beaver was breaking the lump of tall
low in half! Gray Beaver was offer
ing him one piece of the tallow. Very
gently and somewhat suspiciously.
he first smelled the tallow and then
proceeded to eat it. Gray Beaver or
dered meat to be brought to him and
guarded him from the other dogs
while he ate. After that, grateful
and content White Fang lay at Gray
| Beavers feet, gazing at the fire that
warmed him, blinking and dozing, Sc
cure in the knowledge that the NOR
row would find him, not wandering
| forlorn through bleak forest
| stretches, but in the camp of the
| man-animals. with the gods to whom
| he had given himself and upon whom
! he was now dependent.