The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-09-03
Chapter XV-Continued
wNu Service


--25--
The wolves were silent now. Carvel
knew what that meant, and he was
tensely alert. In the stiffness the click
of the safety ON his rifle sounded with
metallic sharpness. For many minutes
they heard nothing but the crack Of
the fire. Suddenly Baree's muscles
seemed to snap. He sprang back, and
faced the quarter behind Carvel, his
head level with his shoulders, his inch
long fangs cleaning as he snarled into
the black caverns Of the forest beyond
the rim Of freight. Carvel had
turned like a shot. It was almost
frightening-what he saw. A pair Of
eyes burning with greenish fire, and
then another pair. and after that so
many OF them that he could not have
counted them. He gave a sudden
gasp. They were like cat-eyes, only
much larger. Some Of them, catching
the freight fully, were red as Goals,
others flashed blue and green-living
things without bodies. With swift
glance he took In the black circle OF
the forest. They were out there. too !;
they we're on all sides Of them. but
where he had seen them first they
were thickest. In these first few Sec
onds he had forgotten Baree, awed al
most to stupefaction by that monster
eyed Gordon Of death that hemmed
them In. There we're fifty-perhaps a
hundred wolves out there, afraid of
nothing in all this savage world but
fire. They had come up without the
sound Of a padded foot or broken
twig. II It had been later. and they
bad been asleep, and the fire out
He shuddered, and for a moment
the thought got the. better of his
nerves. He had not intended to shoot
except from necessity, but all at once
his rife came to his shoulder and he
sent stream Of fire out where the
eyes were thickest. Baree knew what
the shots meant, and filled with the
mad desire to get at the throat of one
of his enemies he dashed in their
direction. Carvel gave startled yell
as he went. He saw the flash of
/. Baree's body. saw it swallowed up In
pthe gloom. and In that same instant
heard the deadly clash of fangs and
the impact of bodies. A wild thrill
shot through him. The dog had charged
al0ne-and the wolves had waited.
There could be but one end. His four
footed comrade had gone straight into
the jaws Of death!
He could hear the ravening snap of
those jaws out in the darkness. 1t
was sickening. His hand went to the
Colt As at his belt. and he thrust his
empty rifle butt downward into the
snow. With the big automatic before
his eyes he plunged out into the dark
ness, and from his lips there issued a
wild yelling that could have been
heard mile away. With the yelling
steady stream of fire spat from the
Colt into the mass Of fighting beasts.
There were eight shots in the auto
matte, and not until the plunger
clicked with metallic emptiness did
Carvel cease his yelling and retreat
into the firelight. He listened, breath
ing deeply. He no longer saw eyes in
the darkness, nor did he hear the
movement Of bodies. The suddenness
and ferocity of his attack had driven
Z back the wolf-horde. But the dog He
caught his breath, and strained his
eyes, A shadow was dragging itself
intosthe circle of light. It was Baree.
Cafvel ran to him. put his arms I'M
der his shoulders, and brought him to
the fire.
For long time after that there was
questioning light in Carvel's eyes.
He reloaded his guns, put fresh snel
on the fire. and from his pack dug out
strips OF cloth with which he bandaged
three or four of the deepest cuts in
Baree's legs. And a dozen times he
asked, in a wondering sort of way.
snow what the deuce made you do
that old chap? What have you got
against the wolves?"
All that night he did not sleep, but
watched.
Their experience with the wolves
broke down the last bit of uncertainty
that might have existed beween the
man and the dog. For days after that,
as they Travelled slowly north and
west. Carvel nursed Baree as he might
have cared for sick child. Because
of the dogs hurts. he made only
few miles cay. Baree understood,
and in him there grew stronger and
stronger a great love for the man
whose hands were as gentle as the
Willows and whose voice warmed him
with the thrill Of an unreasonable
comradeship. He no longer feared him
or had suspicion Of him.
1t was the wanderers intention to
swing over into the country Of the
Great Slave, good eight hundred
miles to the north and west. before
the mush-snows came. From there,
when the waters opened in springtime,
he planned to travel by canoe west
ward to the Mackenzie and ultimately