The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1926-03-19
Chapter 4
II

To Baree, IOr many uiyS inter Iic
was born, the world was vast gloomy
cavern.
During these first days of his life
his home was in the heart of Il great
windfall where Gray Wolf, his blind
mother, had POUNDS safe nest for his
babyl,ood, and TO which kaZan, her
mate. came only now and then. his
eyes cleaning like strange balls of
greenisln fire in the darkness. It was
Kazan's eyes that gave to BARGE lis
first impression Of something existing
away from his mothers side, and they
brought to him also his discovery of
vision. He could feel, he could smell.
he could hear--but in that black pit
under the fallen timber he had never
seen until the eyes came. At first
they frightened him; then they puzzled
him, and his fear changed to an i'm
mense curiosity. He would be looking
straight at them, when all at once they
would disappear. This was when
Kazan turned his head. And then they
would flash back at him again out of
the darkness with such startling sud-
denness that Baree would involuntarily
shrink closer to his mother, who al
ways trembled and shivered in
Arange sort Of way when Kazan
came in.
Baree, Of course, would never know
.neir story. He would never know
chat Gray Wolf. his mother, was a.
full-blooded wolf. and that Kazan, his
father, was dog. In him nature was
already beginning its wonderful work,
but it would never go beyond certain
limitations. 1t would tell him. in time,
that his. beautiful wolf-mother was
blind but he would never know of that
terrible battle between Gray Wolf and
the lynx in which his mothers sight
had been destroyed. Nature could tell
him nothing of KaZan's merciless ven
geance, of the wonderful years of their
matehood of their loyalty. their
strange adventures in the great Cana
dian wilderness-it could make him
only son of Kazan.
And then, came that wonderful day
when the greenish balls of fire that
were Kazan's eyes came nearer and
nearer, little at time, and very
cautiously. Heretofore Gray Wolf had
warned him back. To be alone was
the first law of her wild breed during
mothering-t time. A low snarl from her
throat. and Kazan had always stopped
But on this day the snarl did not come.
In Gray VOLTS threat 1t died away in
low, whimpering sound. A note of
loneliness, of gladness, of great
warming. SIT is all right now" she
was saying to Kazan; and Kazan-
pausing for a. moment to make sure
replied with an answering note deep
in his throat.
Still slowly, as if not quite sure of
what he would find, Kazan came to
them, and Baree snuggled closer to his
mother. He heard Kazan as he
droppedS down heavily on his belly
close to Gray Wolf. He was unafraid
land nightly curious. And Kazan,
too, was curious. He shifted. In the
gloom his ears were alert. After a
little Baree began TO move. An inch
at time he dragged himself away
from Gray VOLTS side. Every muscle
In her 1.-THE body tensed Again her
wolf blood was warning her. There
was danger for Baree. Her lips drew
back, barring her fangs. Her throat
trembled. but the note in it never
came. Out of the darkness two yards
away came soft. puppyish whine,
and the caressing sound of Kazan's
tongue
Baree had felt the thrill of his first
great adventure. He had discovered
his father
This all happened in the third week
of Baree's life. He was just eighteen
days old when Gray Wolf allowed
Kazan to make the acquaintance of his
son. If 1t had not been for Gray
VOLTS blindness and the memory of
that day on the Sun rock when the
lynx had destroyed her eyes, she
would have given birth to Baree in
the open and his legs would have
been quite strong. He would have
known the sun and the moon and
the stars; he would have realized
That the thunder meant, and would