The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-06-25

put her hand on his head, and talk to
him for neutrality-suspicious. in her
soft Cree, sometimes in English or her
fathers French.
1t was the Willows voice which
Baree had learned to understand, and
the movement of her lips, her gesture,
the poise Of her body, the changing
moods which brought shadow or sun
light into her face He knew what 1t
meant when she smiled; he shook HIM
self, and often jumped about her in
sympathetic rejoicing, when she
laughed; her happiness was part Of
him, stern word from her was worse
than blow. Twice Pierrot had
struck him, and twice Baree had
sprung back and faced him with barred
fangs and an angry snarl, the crest
along his back standing up like a
brush. Had one of the other dogs
done this, Pierrot would have half
killed him. It would have been mu-
tiny, and the man must be master.
But Baree was always safe. A touch
of the Willows hand, a word from
her lips, and the crest slowly settled
and the snarl went out of his throat
Pierrot was not at all dfspleased.
"Dieu. l will never go so far as to
try and whip that out of him." he told
himself. "He is barbarian-a wild
beast-and her slave. For her he
would kill"
60 If Gonna thro,,1b p;nrro+ him,
self-and without telling his reason
for ft-that Baree did not become a
sledge dog. He was allowed his free
dom, and was never tied, like the
others. Nepeese was glad, but did
not guess the thought that was in
Pierrot's mind. To himself Pierrot
chuckled. She would never know why
he kept Baree always suspicious Of
him, even to the point of hating him.
1t required considerable skill and cum
ming on his part. With himself he
reasoned:
III l make him hate me, he will
hate all men. Mey-oo! That is good"
So he looked into, the future-for
Nepeese.
Now the tonic-filled days and cold,
frosty nights Of the Red Moon brought
about the big change in Baree. 1t was
inevitable. Pierre knew that it would
come, and the first night that Baree
settled back on his launches and
howled up at the Red Moon Pierrot
prepared Nepeese for it.
"He is a wild dog, Ma Nepeese," he
said to her. "He is half wolf, and the
Call will come to him strong. He will
go into the forests. He will disappear
at times. But we must not fasten him.
He will come back. Ka, he will come
back" And he rubbed his hands in
the moon-glow until his knuckles
cracked.
The Call came to Baree like thief
entering slowly and cautiously into a
forbidden place. He did not under
stand it at first. 1t made him nervous
and uneasy, so restless that Nepeese
frequently heard him whine softly in
his sleep. He was waiting for some
thing. What was It? Pierrot knew,
and smiled in his inscrutable way.
And then it came. 1t was night, a
glorious night filed with moon and
stars, under which the earth was whit
ening with film of frost, when they
heard the first hunt-call of the wolves.
Pierrot knew that at last had come
that for which Baree had been waiting.
In an instant Baree had sensed 1t.
His muscles grew taut as pieces OF
stretched rope as he stood up in the
moonlight, facing the direction from
which foated the mystery and thrill
of the sound. They could hear him
whining softly; and Pierrot, bending
down so that he caught the light of
the night properly, could see him
trembling.
"It is Mee-Koo!" he said in a whis-
per to Nepeese.
That was it, the call of the blood
that was running swift in Baree's
veins-not alone the call of his spe-
cies, but the call of Kazan and Gray
Wolf and Of his forebears for genera
lions unnumbered. 1t was the voice of
his people. So Pierrot had whispered,
and he was right. In the golden night
the Willow was waiting, for it was she
who had gambled most, and 1t was
she who must lose or win. She
watched Baree as he slowly faded
away; step by step. in the shadows.
In few moments more he was gone.
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