The Coolidge examiner., 1938-12-08
CHAPTER XII-Continued
-l9-


making bad medicine because we
came to the gorge Look! 1t is writ
ten in the sky!"
With shaking finger Napayo point
ed to the streamers of the Northern
Lights. "See," he said, in awe
struck voice. when the spirits
dance like that there is always star
walton for the Naskapi."
Noel was impressed by the Mas
kapi's fear, but Alan smiled at the
superstitious Indian.
'Napayo," he said, kindly, 1--WE
seen the lights curl like that since
was a baby. If the migration was
crossing right here now, the lights
would play the same way and the
streamers curl and uncurl."
But the Indian was not to be COM
forted.
The following morning, while the
men were "snubbing" the canoe
past some long rapids, far down
stream the dogs in pursuit Of small
game worked ahead of them. At
noon. when they stopped to boil the
kettle, Alan took his rife and went
back into the tundra to sweep the
country with his glasses. He fully
realized the necessity Of reaching
the deer if they were to have equip
ment for making the journey over
the snow.
AS he stood on the treeless high
ground overlooking the river below
him, by chance he turned his eyes
downstream; something moving on
the gravel bars of the river brought
the glasses to his eyes.
What's going on down there?" he
cried. That's Rough on the beach
but-those aren't the pups-why
they're wolvesl They've got him
cornered-three of 'eml He can't
whip three wolves! Roughly!
Roughly I've lost my dog! They'll
get you! They'll get you!"
There, down on the river, beyond
reach of his help, was the dog he
loved outnumbered by the white
murderers of the tundra. Desper-
ate. Alan ran as he had never trav-
eled before through the spruce.
Fight 'em. Roughly! Fight 'em!"
he gasped as he thrashed through
the thick growth down to the river
shore where, hundreds of yards dis
tant, the great black-and-white dog
stood, with his back against an
enormous boulder, while three white
wolves alternately leaped in and
away. slashing as they leaped, but
fearing to close with the black fury.
On went the despairing Cameron,
down through the scrub. falling
headlong, only to pick himself up
and plunge ahead.
Hold 'em, Roughly! Hold 'em!"
he painted, but he knew in his
heart that he would only reach the
beach to find his great-hearted dog
beneath a milling pack of wolves.
AT last the runner burst from
the spruce scrub and the fringe of
alders to reach the open shore. With
eyes blurred by tears, he looked
downstream. Two hundred yards
away on the gravel bar, a black
demon crouched to meet the rush
Of a wolf, met him in mid-air, and
hurled him rolling to the waters
edge with a slashed shoulder. An
other white shape leaped, slashed
sideways, trying for the throat, but
the great weight and power of the
fighting Ungava threw the wolf off
balance and the dogs tusks struck
savagely before he sprang back to
the refuge of the rock.
He's there! He's alive! Fight
EN-, Rough!" shouted the half
crazed Alan, scrambling headlong
down the shore broken with rock
and gravel. He stopped to aim his
rifle. then. fearing to injure Rough,
kept on, shouting like madman to
his dog.
IF he can only hold 'em off-only
hold 'em off, until /" Suddenly
Alan saw three massive heads mov-
ing downstream across the current
from the opposite shore. Legs
churning the water to foam beneath
them, two slate-gray backs and a
seal-brown raced for the gravel bar
Unaware of the approach of the
three Ungavas, two wolves again
rushed the crouched dog waiting for
them, as Alan plunged into the riv-
er. The third licked his wounds at
the waters edge. With bound, the
tireless black dog met his enemies
in mid-air, tusks clashing on tusks,
as he catapulted into their Grim
soned shoulders, knocked them off
their feet, struck, and sprang back
with another cash in his neck. Again
the white demons rushed. Again
the crippled dog met their charge.
Then, like tides on a reef, the
three Ungavas reached the bar,
hurled themselves on the surprised
wolves. carrying them to the grav-
el while knife-like tusks struck and
tore and struck again. At the same
instant, with a roar, the blood
smeared Rough leaped into the me-
lee.
Shooting the wolf Rough had put
out of the fight, as he attempted to
swim away, Alan turned to his fren-
T. - 10 r1,oe