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  AboutthetimeDuskymane’sbrotherswereamontholdhisfoster—motherreturnedinastrangecondition。Shewasfrothingatthemouth,herlegstrembled,andshefellinaconvulsionnearthedoorwayoftheden,butrecovering,shecamein。Herjawsquivered,herteethrattledalittleasshetriedtolickthelittleones;sheseizedherownfrontlegandbititsoasnottobitethem,butatlengthshegrewquieterandcalmer。TheCubshadretreatedinfeartoafarpocket,butnowtheyreturnedandcrowdedabouthertoseektheirusualfood。Themotherrecovered,butwasveryillfortwoorthreedays,andthosedayswiththepoisoninhersystemworkeddisasterforthebrood。Theywereterriblysick;onlythestrongestcouldsurvive,andwhenthetrialofstrengthwasover,thedencontainedonlytheoldoneandtheBlack—manedCub,theoneshehadadopted。ThuslittleDuskymanebecamehersolecharge;allherstrengthwasdevotedtofeedinghim,andhethrivedapace。

  Wolvesarequicktolearncertainthings。ThereactionsofsmellarethegreatestthataWolfcanfeel,andthenceforthbothCubandfoster—motherexperiencedaquick,unreasoningsenseoffearandhatethemomentthesmellofstrychninereachedthem。

  IV

  THERUDIMENTSOFWOLFTRAINING

  WiththesustenanceofsevenathisservicethelittleWolfhadeveryreasontogrow,andwhenintheautumnhebegantofollowhismotheronherhuntingtripshewasastallasshewas。Nowachangeofregionwasforcedonthem,fornumbersoflittleWolvesweregrowingup。SentinelButte,therockyfastnessoftheplains,wasclaimedbymanythatwerebigandstrong;theweakermustmoveout,andwiththemYellowWolfandtheDuskyCub。

  Wolveshavenolanguageinthesensethatmanhas;theirvocabularyisprobablylimitedtoadozenhowls,barks,andgruntsexpressingthesimplestemotions;buttheyhaveseveralothermodesofconveyingideas,andoneveryspecialmethodofspreadinginformation——theWolf—telephone。Scatteredovertheirrangeareanumberofrecognized\"centrals。\"Sometimesthesearestones,sometimestheangleofcross—trails,sometimesaBuffalo—skull——indeed,anyconspicuousobjectnearamaintrailisused。AWolfcallinghere,asaDogdoesatatelegraphpost,oraMuskratatacertainmud—piepoint,leaveshisbody—scentandlearnswhatothervisitorshavebeenthererecentlytodothesame。Helearnsalsowhencetheycameandwheretheywent,aswellassomethingabouttheircondition,whetherhunted,hungry,gorged,orsick。BythissystemofregistrationaWolfknowswherehisfriends,aswellashisfoes,aretobefound。AndDuskymane,followingaftertheYellowWolf,wastaughttheplacesandusesofthemanysignal—stationswithoutanyconsciousattemptatteachingonthepartofhisfoster—mother。Examplebackedbyhisnativeinstinctswasindeedthechiefteacher,butononeoccasionatleasttherewassomethingveryliketheeffortofahumanparenttoguardherchildindanger。

  TheDarkCubhadlearnedtherudimentsofWolflife:thatthewaytofightDogsistorun,andtofightasyourun,nevergrapple,butsnap,snap,snap,andmakefortheroughcountrywhereHorsescannotbringtheirriders。

  HelearnednottobotherabouttheCoyotesthatfollowforthepickingswhenyouhunt;youcannotcatchthemandtheydoyounoharm。

  HeknewhemustnotwastetimedashingafterBirdsthatalightontheground;andthathemustkeepawayfromthelittleblackandwhiteAnimalwiththebushytail。Itisnotverygoodtoeat,anditisvery,verybadtosmell。

  Poison!Oh,heneverforgotthatsmellfromthedaywhenthedenwasclearedofallhisfoster—brothers。

  HenowknewthatthefirstmoveinattackingSheepwastoscatterthem;aloneSheepisafoolishandeasyprey;thatthewaytoroundupabandofCattlewastofrightenaCalf。

  HelearnedthathemustalwaysattackaSteerbehind,aSheepinfront,andaHorseinthemiddle,thatis,ontheflank,andnever,neverattackamanatall,neverevenfacehim。Butanimportantlessonwasaddedtothese,oneinwhichthemotherconsciouslytaughthimofasecretfoe。

  V

  THELESSONONTRAPS

  ACalfhaddiedinbranding—timeandnow,twoweekslater,wasinitsbeststateforperfecttaste,nottoofresh,notover—ripe——thatis,inaWolf’sopinion—andthewindcarriedthisinformationafar。TheYellowWolfandDuskymanewereoutforsupper,thoughnotyetknowingwhere,whenthetidingsofvealarrived,andtheytrottedupthewind。TheCalfwasinanopenplace,andplaintobeseeninthemoonlight。ADogwouldhavetrottedrightuptothecarcass,anold—timeWolfmighthavedoneso,butconstantwarhaddevelopedconstantvigilanceintheYellowWolf,andtrustingnothingandnoonebuthernose,sheslackedherspeedtoawalk。Oncomingineasyviewshestopped,andforlongswunghernose,submittingthewindtotheclosestpossiblechemicalanalysis。Shetrieditwithherfinesttests,blewallthemembranescleanagainandtrieditoncemore;andthiswasthereportofthetrustynostrils,yes,theunanimousreport。First,richandracysmellofCalf,seventypercent。;

  smellsofgrass,bugs,wood,flowers,trees,sand,andotheruninterestingnegations,fifteenpercent。;smellofherCubandherself,positivebutignorable,tenpercent。;smellofhumantracks,twopercent。;smellofsmoke,onepercent。;ofsweatyleathersmell,onepercent。;ofhumanbody—scent(notdiscernibleinsomesamples),one—halfpercent。;smellofiron,atrace。

  TheoldWolfcrouchedalittlebutsniffedhardwithswingingnose;theyoungWolfimitativelydidthesame。Shebackedofftoagreaterdistance;theCubstood。Shegavealowwhine;hefollowedunwillingly。Shecircledaroundthetemptingcarcass;anewsmellwasrecorded——Coyotetrail—scent,soonfollowedbyCoyotebody—scent。Yes,theretheyweresneakingalonganearridge,andnowasshepassedtoonesidethesampleschanged,thewindhadlostnearlyeverytraceofCalf;miscellaneous,commonplace,anduninterestingsmellswerethereinstead。Thehumantrack—scentwasasbefore,thetraceofleatherwasgone,butfullyone—halfpercent,ofiron—odor,andbodysmellofmanraisedtonearlytwopercent。

  Fullyalarmed,sheconveyedherfeartotheCub,byherrigidpose,herairintent,andherslightlybristlingmane。

  Shecontinuedherround。Atonetimeonahighplacethehumanbodyscentwasdoublystrong,thenasshedroppeditfaded。Thenthewindbroughtthefullcalf—odorwithseveraltrack—scentsofCoyotesandsundryBirds。Hersuspicionswerelullingasinasmallingcircleshenearedthetemptingfeastfromthewindwardside。Shehadevenadvancedstraighttowarditforafewstepswhenthesweatyleathersangloudandstrongagain,andsmokeandironmingledliketwostrandsofaparti—coloredyarn。Centringallherattentiononthis,sheadvancedwithintwoleapsoftheCalf。Thereonthegroundwasascrapofleather,tellingalsoofahumantouch,closeathandtheCalf,andnowtheironandsmokeonthefullvastsmellofCalfwerelikeasnaketrailacrossthetrailofawholeBeefherd。ItwassoslightthattheCub,withtheappetiteandimpatienceofyouth,pressedupagainsthismother’sshouldertogopastandeatwithoutdelay。Sheseizedhimbytheneckandflunghimback。Astonestruckbyhisfeetrolledforwardandstoppedwithapeculiarclink。Thedangersmellwasgreatlyincreasedatthis,andtheYellowWolfbackedslowlyfromthefeast,theCubunwillinglyfollowing。

  AshelookedwistfullyhesawtheCoyotesdrawingnearer,mindfulchieflytoavoidtheWolves。Hewatchedtheirreallycautiousadvance;itseemedlikeheedlessrushingcomparedwithhismother’sapproach。TheCalfsmellrolledforthinexquisiteandoverpoweringexcellencenow,fortheyweretearingthemeat,whenasharpclankwasheardandayelpfromaCoyote。Atthesametimethequietnightwasshockedwitharoarandaflashoffire。HeavyshotsspatteredCalfandCoyotes,andyelpinglikebeatenDogstheyscattered,exceptingonethatwaskilledandasecondstrugglinginthetrapsetherebytheever—activewolvers。Theairwaschargedwiththehatefulsmellsredoublednow,andhorridsmellsadditional。TheYellowWolfglideddownahollowandledherCubawayinflight,but,astheywent,theysawamanrushfromthebanknearwherethemother’snosehadwarnedherofthehumanscent。TheysawhimkillthecaughtCoyoteandsetthetrapsformore。

  VI

  THEBEGUILINGOFTHEYELLOWWOLF

  Thelifegameisahardgame,forwemaywintenthousandtimes,andifwefailbutonceourgainisgone。HowmanyhundredtimeshadtheYellowWolfscornedthetraps;howmanyCubsshehadtrainedtodothesame!Ofallthedangerstoherlifeshebestknewtraps。

  Octoberhadcome;theCubwasnowmuchtallerthanthemother。

  Thewolverhadseenthemonce——aYellowWolffollowedbyanother,whoselong,awkwardlegs,big,softfeet,thinneck,andskimpytailproclaimedhimthisyear’sCub。Therecordofthedustandsandsaidthattheoldonehadlostarightfronttoe,andthattheyoungonewasofgiantsize。

  ItwasthewolverthatthoughttoturnthecarcassoftheCalftoprofit,buthewasdisappointedingettingCoyotesinsteadofWolves。Itwasthebeginningofthetrappingseason,forthismonthfurisprime。Ayoungtrapperoftenfastensthebaitonthetrap;anexperiencedonedoesnot。Agoodtrapperwillevenputthebaitatoneplaceandthetraptenortwentyfeetaway,butataspotthattheWolfislikelytocrossincircling。A

  favoriteplanistohidethreeorfourtrapsaroundanopenplace,andscattersomescrapsofmeatinthemiddle。Thetrapsareburiedoutofsightafterbeingsmokedtohidethetaintofhandsandiron。SometimesnobaitisusedexceptalittlepieceofcottonoratuftoffeathersthatmaycatchtheWolf’seyeorpiqueitscuriosityandtemptittocircleonthefateful,treacherousground。AgoodtrappervarieshismethodscontinuallysothattheWolvescannotlearnhisways。Theironlysafeguardsareperpetualvigilanceanddistrustofallsmellsthatareknowntobeofman。

  Thewolver,withaloadofthestrongeststeeltraps,hadbegunhisautumnworkonthe’Cottonwood。’

  AnoldBuffalotrailcrossingtheriverfollowedalittledrawthatclimbedthehillstothelevelupland。Allanimalsusethesetrails,WolvesandFoxesaswellasCattleandDeer:theyarethemainthoroughfares。AcottonwoodstumpnotfarfromwhereitplungedtothegravellystreamwasmarkedwithWolfsignsthattoldthewolverofitsuse。Herewasanexcellentplacefortraps,notonthetrail,forCattlewerehereinnumbers,buttwentyyardsawayonalevel,sandyspothesetfourtrapsinatwelve—footsquare。Neareachhescatteredtwoorthreescrapsofmeat;threeorfourwhitefeathersonaspearofgrassinthemiddlecompletedthesetting。Nohumaneye,fewanimalnoses,couldhavedetectedthehiddendangerofthatsandyground,whenthesunandwindandthesanditselfhaddissipatedtheman—tracktaint。

  TheYellowWolfhadseenandpassed,andtaughthergiantsontopass,suchtrapsathousandtimesbefore。

  TheCattlecametowaterintheheatoftheday。TheystrungdowntheBuffalopathasoncetheBuffalodid。ThelittleVesper—birdsflittedbeforethem,theCowbirdsrodeonthem,andthePrairie—dogschatteredatthem,justastheyoncedidattheBuffalo。

  Downfromthegray—greenmesawithitsgreen—grayrocks,theymarchedwithimposingsolemnity,importance,anddirectnessofpurpose。SomefrolicsomeCalves,playingalong—sidethetrail,grewsoberandwalkedbehindtheirmothersastheriverflatwasreached。TheoldCowthatheadedtheprocessionsniffedsuspiciouslyasshepassedthe\"trapset,\"butitwasfaraway,otherwiseshewouldhavepawedandbellowedoverthescrapsofbloodybeeftilleverytrapwassprungandharmless。

  Butsheledtotheriver。Afterallhaddrunktheirfilltheylaydownonthenearestbanktilllateafternoon。Thentheirunhearddinner—gongarousedthem,andstartedthemonthebackwardmarchtowheretherichestpasturesgrew。

  Oneortwosmallbirdshadpickedatthescrapsofmeat,someblue—bottlefliesbuzzedabout,butthesinkingsunsawthesandymaskuntouched。

  AbrownMarshHawkcameskimmingovertheriverflatasthesunbeganhiscolorplay。Blackbirdsdashedintothickets,andeasilyavoidedhisclumsypounce。ItwastooearlyfortheMice,but,asheskimmedtheground,hiskeeneyecaughttheflutteroffeathersbythetrapandturnedhisflight。Thefeathersintheiruninterestingemptinesswereexposedbeforehewasnear,butnowhesawthescrapsofmeat。Guilelessofcunning,healightedandwasdevouringasecondlumpwhen——clank——thedustwasflirtedhighandtheMarshHawkwasheldbyhistoes,strugglingvainlyinthejawsofapowerfulwolf—trap。Hewasnotmuchhurt。Hisamplewingswinnowedfromtimetotime,ineffortstobefree,buthewashelpless,evenasaSparrowmightbeinarat—trap,andwhenthesunhadplayedhisfiercechromaticscale,hisswan—songsung,anddiedashediesonlyintheblazingwest,andtheshadeshadfallenonthemelodramaticsceneoftheMouseintheelephant—trap,therewasadeep,richsoundonthehighflatbutte,answeredbyanother,neitherverylong,neitherrepeated,andbothinstinctiveratherthannecessary。Onewasthemuster—callofanordinaryWolf,theothertheanswerofaverybigmale,notapairinthiscase,butmotherandson—

  YellowWolfandDuskymane。TheycametrottingtogetherdowntheBuffalotrail。Theypausedatthetelephoneboxonthehillandagainattheoldcottonwoodroot,andweremakingfortheriverwhentheHawkinthetrapflutteredhiswings。TheoldWolfturnedtowardhim,—awoundedbirdonthegroundsurely,andsherushedforward。Sunandsandsoonburnalltrail—scents;therewasnothingtowarnher。Shesprangonthefloppingbirdandachopofherjawsendedhistroubles,butahorridsound——thegrittingofherteethonsteel——toldherofperil。ShedroppedtheHawkandsprangbackwardfromthedangerousground,butlandedinthesecondtrap。Highonherfootitsdeath—gripclosed,andleapingwithallherstrength,toescape,shesetherforefootinanotherofthelurkinggripsofsteel。Neverhadatrapbeensobaitedbefore。Neverwasshesounsuspicious。Neverwascatchmoresure。FearandfuryfilledtheoldWolf’sheart;

  shetuggedandstrained,shechewedthechains,shesnarledandfoamed。Onetrapwithitsburiedlog,shemighthavedragged;

  withtwo,shewashelpless。Struggleasshemight,itonlyworkedthoserelentlessjawsmoredeeplyintoherfeet。Shesnappedwildlyattheair;shetorethedeadHawkintoshreds;sheroaredtheshort,barkingroarofacrazyWolf。Shebitatthetraps,athercub,atherself。Shetoreherlegsthatwereheld;shegnawedinfrenzyatherflank,shechoppedoffhertailinhermadness;

  shesplinteredallherteethonthesteel,andfilledherbleeding,foamingjawswithclayandsand。

  Shestruggledtillshefell,andwrithedaboutorlaylikedead,tillstrongenoughtoriseandgrindthechainsagainwithherteeth。

  Andsothenightpassedby。

  AndDuskymane?Wherewashe?Thefeelingofthetimewhenhisfoster—motherhadcomehomepoisoned,nowreturned;buthewasevenmoreafraidofher。Sheseemedfilledwithfightinghate。Heheldawayandwhinedalittle;heslunkoffandcamebackwhenshelaystill,onlytoretreatagain,asshesprangforward,ragingathim,andthenrenewedhereffortsatthetraps。Hedidnotunderstandit,butheknewthismuch,shewasinterribletrouble,andthecauseseemedtobethesameasthatwhichhadscaredthemthenighttheyhadventuredneartheCalf。

  Duskymanehungaboutallnight,fearingtogonear,notknowingwhattodo,andhelplessashismother。

  AtdawnthenextdayasheepherderseekinglostSheepdiscoveredherfromaneighboringhill。Asignalmirrorcalledthewolverfromhiscamp。Duskymanesawthenewdanger。HewasamereCub,thoughsotall;hecouldnotfacetheman,andfledathisapproach。

  Thewolverrodeuptothesorry,tattered,bleedingShe—wolfinthetrap。Heraisedhisrifleandsoonthestrugglingstopped。

  Thewolverreadthetrailandthesignsabout,andrememberingthosehehadreadbefore,hedivinedthatthiswastheWolfwiththegreatCub——theShe—wolfofSentinelButte。

  Duskymaneheardthe\"crack\"ashescurriedoffintocover。Hecouldscarcelyknowwhatitmeant,butheneversawhiskindoldfoster—motheragain。Thenceforthhemustfacetheworldalone。

  VII

  THEYOUNGWOLFWINSAPLACEANDFAME

  InstinctisnodoubtaWolf’sfirstandbestguide,butgiftedparentsareagreatstartinlife。Thedusky—manedcubhadhadamotherofrareexcellenceandhereapedtheadvantageofallhercleverness。Hehadinheritedanexquisitenoseandhadabsoluteconfidenceinitsadmonitions。Mankindhasdifficultyinrecognizingthepowerofnostrils。AGray—wolfcanglanceoverthemorningwindasamandoesoverhisnewspaper,andgetallthelatestnews。Hecanswingoverthegroundandhavetheminutestinformationofeverylivingcreaturethathaswalkedtherewithinmanyhours。Hisnoseeventellswhichwayitran,andinawordrendersastatementofeveryanimalthatrecentlycrossedhistrail,whenceitcame,andwhitheritwent。

  ThatpowerhadDuskymaneinthehighestdegree;hisbroad,moistnosewasevidenceofittoallwhoarejudgesofsuchthings。

  Addedtothis,hisframewasofunusualpowerandendurance,andlast,hehadearlylearnedadeepdistrustofeverythingstrange,and,callitwhatwewill,shyness,warinessorsuspicion,itwasworthmoretohimthanallhiscleverness。Itwasthisasmuchashisphysicalpowersthatmadeasuccessofhislife。Mightisrightinwolf—land,andDuskymaneandhismotherhadbeendrivenoutofSentinelButte。Butitwasaverydelectablelandandhekeptdriftingbacktohisnativemountain。OneortwobigWolvesthereresentedhiscoming。Theydrovehimoffseveraltimes,yeteachtimehereturnedhewasbetterabletofacethem;

  andbeforehewaseighteenmonthsoldhehaddefeatedallrivalsandestablishedhimselfagainonhisnativeground;wherehelivedlikearobberbaron,levyingtributeontherichlandsabouthimandfindingsafetyintherockyfastness。

  WolverRyderoftenhuntedinthatcountry,andbeforelong,hecameacrossafive—and—one—half—inchtrack,thefoot—printofagiantWolf。Roughlyreckoned,twentytotwenty—fivepoundsofweightorsixinchesofstatureisafairallowanceforeachinchofaWolf’sfoot;thisWolfthereforestoodthirty—threeinchesattheshoulderandweighedaboutonehundredandfortypounds,byfarthelargestWolfhehadevermet。KinghadlivedinGoatcountry,andnowinGoatlanguageheexclaimed:\"Youbet,ain’tthatanoldBilly?\"ThusbytrivialchanceitwasthatDuskymanewasknowntohisfoe,as’BadlandsBilly。’

  Ryderwasfamiliarwiththemuster—calloftheWolves,thelong,smoothcry,butBilly’shadasingularfeature,aslurringthatwasalwaysdistinctive。Ryderhadheardthisbefore,intheCottonwoodCa駉n,andwhenatlengthhegotasightofthebigWolfwiththeblackmane,itstruckhimthatthiswasalsotheCuboftheoldYellowfurythathehadtrapped。

  Thesewereamongthethingshetoldmeaswesatbythefireatnight。IknewoftheearlydayswhenanyonecouldtraporpoisonWolves,ofthepassingofthosedays,withthepassingofthesimpleWolves;ofthenewraceofWolveswithnewcunningthatweredefyingthemethodsoftheranchmen,andincreasingsteadilyinnumbers。NowthewolvertoldmeofthevariousventuresthatPenroofhadmadewithdifferentkindsofHounds;ofFoxhoundstoothin—skinnedtofight;ofGreyhoundsthatwereuselesswhentheanimalwasoutofsight;ofDanestooheavyfortheroughcountry,and,last,ofthecompositepackwithsomeofallkinds,includingattimesaBull—terriertoleadtheminthefinalfight。

  HetoldofhuntsafterCoyotes,whichusuallyweresuccessfulbecausetheCoyotessoughttheplains,andwereeasilycaughtbytheGreyhounds。HetoldofkillingsomesmallGray—wolveswiththisverypack,usuallyatthecostoftheonethatledthem;butaboveallhedweltonthewonderfulprowessof\"thattharcussedoldBlackWolfofSentinelButte,\"andrelatedthemanyattemptstorunhimdownorcornerhim——anunbrokenarrayoffailures。ForthebigWolf,withexasperatingpersistence,continuedtoliveonthefineststockofthePenroofbrand,andeachyearwasteachingmoreWolveshowtodothesamewithperfectimpunity。

  Ilistenedevenasgold—hunterslistentostoriesoftreasuretrove,forthesewerethethingsofmyworld。Thesethingsindeedwereuppermostinallourminds,forthePenroofpackwaslyingaroundourcamp—firenow。WewereoutafterBadlandsBilly。

  VIII

  THEVOICEINTHENIGHTANDTHEBIG

  TRACKINTHEMORNING

  OnenightlateinSeptemberafterthelaststreakoflightwasgonefromthewestandtheCoyoteshadbeguntheiryappingchorus,adeep,boomingsoundwasheard。Kingtookouthispipe,turnedhisheadandsaid:\"That’shim——that’soldBilly。He’sbeenwatchingusalldayfromsomehighplace,andnowwhenthegunsareuselesshe’sheretohavealittlefunwithus。\"

  TwoorthreeDogsarose,withbristlingmanes,fortheyclearlyrecognizedthatthiswasnoCoyote。Theyrushedoutintothenight,butdidnotgofar;theirbrawlingsoundsweresuddenlyvariedbyloudyelps,andtheycamerunningbacktotheshelterofthefire。Onewassobadlycutintheshoulderthathewasuselessfortherestofthehunt。Anotherwashurtintheflank——itseemedthelessseriouswound,andyetnextmorningthehuntersburiedthatsecondDog。

  Themenwerefurious。Theyvowedspeedyvengeance,andatdawnwereoffonthetrail。TheCoyotesyelpedtheirdawningsong,buttheymeltedintothehillswhenthelightwasstrong。ThehunterssearchedaboutforthebigWolf’strack,hopingthattheHoundswouldbeabletotakeitupandfindhim,buttheyeithercouldnotorwouldnot。

  TheyfoundaCoyote,however,andwithinafewhundredyardstheykilledhim。Itwasavictory,Isuppose,forCoyoteskillCalvesandSheep,butsomehowIfeltthecommonthoughtofall:\"MightybraveDogsforalittleCoyote,buttheycouldnotfacethebigWolflastnight。\"

  YoungPenroof,asthoughinanswertooneoftheunputquestions,said:

  \"Say,boys,IbelieveoldBillyhadahullbunchofWolveswithhimlastnight。\"

  \"Didn’tseebutonetrack,\"saidKinggruffly。

  InthiswaythewholeofOctoberslippedby;alldayhardridingafterdoubtfultrails,followingtheDogs,whoeithercouldnotkeepthebigtrailorfearedtodoso,andagainandagainwehadnewsofdamagedonebytheWolf;sometimesacowboywouldreportittous;andsometimeswefoundthecarcassesourselves。Afewofthesewepoisoned,thoughitisconsideredaverydangerousthingtodowhilerunningDogs。Theendofthemonthfoundusaweather—beaten,dispiritedlotofmen,withaworn—outlotofHorses,andafoot—sorepack,reducedinnumbersfromtentoseven。SofarwehadkilledonlyoneGray—wolfandthreeCoyotes;

  BadlandsBillyhadkilledatleastadozenCowsandDogsatfiftydollarsahead。Someoftheboysdecidedtogiveitupandgohome,soKingtookadvantageoftheirgoing,tosendaletter,askingforre雗forcementsincludingallthespareDogsattheranch。

  Duringthetwodays’waitwerestedourHorses,shotsomegame,andpreparedforaharderhunt。LateontheseconddaythenewDogsarrived——eightbeauties——andraisedtheworkingpacktofifteen。

  Theweathernowturnedmuchcooler,andinthemorning,tothejoyofthewolvers,thegroundwaswhitewithsnow。Thissurelymeantsuccess。WithcoolweatherfortheDogsandHorsestorun;

  withthebigWolfnotfaraway,forhehadbeenheardthenightbefore;andwithtrackingsnow,sothatoncefoundhecouldnotbaffleus,——escapeforhimwasimpossible。

  Wewereupatdawn,butbeforewecouldgetaway,threemencameridingintocamp。TheywerethePenroofboysbackagain。Thechangeofweatherhadchangedtheirminds;theyknewthatwithsnowwemighthaveluck。

  \"Remembernow,\"saidKing,asallweremounting,\"wedon’twantanybutBadlandsBillythistrip。Gethiman’wekinbustupthehullcombination。Itisafive—and—a—half—inchtrack。\"

  Andeachmeasuredoffonhisquirthandle,oronhisglove,theexactfiveandahalfinchesthatwastobeusedintestingthetrackshemightfind。

  Notmorethananhourelapsedbeforewegotasignalfromtheriderwhohadgonewestward。Oneshot:thatmeans\"attention,\"apausewhilecountingten,thentwoshots:thatmeans\"comeon。\"

  KinggatheredtheDogsandrodedirecttothedistantfigureonthehill。Allheartsbeathighwithhope,andwewerenotdisappointed。SomesmallWolftrackshadbeenfound,buthereatlastwasthebigtrack,nearlysixincheslong。YoungPenroofwantedtoyellandsetoutatfullgallop。ItwaslikehuntingaLion;itwaslikefindinghappinesslongdeferred。Thehunterknowsnothingmoreinspiringthantheclean—cutlineoffreshtracksthatisleadingtoawonderfulanimal,hehaslongbeenhuntinginvain。HowKing’seyegleamedashegloatedoverthesign!

  IX

  RUNDOWNATLAST

  Itwastheroughestofallroughriding。Itwasafarlongerhuntthanwehadexpected,andwasfulloflittleincidents,forthatendlesslineofmarkswasaminutehistoryofallthatthebigWolfhaddonethenightbefore。Herehehadcircledatthetelephoneboxandlookedfornews;therehehadpausedtoexamineanoldskull;herehehadshiedoffandswungcautiouslyupwindtoexaminesomethingthatprovedtobeanoldtincan;thereatlengthhehadmountedalowhillandsatdown,probablygivingthemuster—howl,fortwoWolveshadcometohimfromdifferentdirections,andtheythenhaddescendedtotheriverflatwheretheCattlewouldseekshelterduringthestorm。HereallthreehadvisitedaBuffaloskull;theretheytrottedinline;andyondertheyseparated,goingthreedifferentways,tomeet——yes——here——oh,whatasight,afineCowrippedopen,leftdeadanduneaten。Nottotheirtaste,itseems,forsee!withinamileisanotherkilledbythem。Notsixhoursago,theyhadfeasted。Heretheirtrailsscatteragain,butnotfar,andthesnowtellsplainlyhoweachhadlaindowntosleep。TheHounds’

  manesbristledastheysniffedthoseplaces。KinghadheldtheDogswellinhand,butnowtheyweregreatlyexcited。WecametoahillwhereontheWolveshadturnedandfacedourway,thenfledatfullspeed,——sosaidthetrail,——andnowitwasclearthattheyhadwatchedusfromthathill,andwerenotfaraway。

  Thepackkeptwelltogether,becausetheGreyhounds,seeingnoquarry,weremerelyputteringaboutamongtheotherDogs,orrunningbackwiththeHorses。Wewentasfastaswecould,fortheWolveswerespeeding。Upmesasanddowncouleeswerode,stickingcloselytotheDogs,thoughitwastheroughestcountrythatcouldbepicked。Onegullyafteranother,anhourandanotherhour,andstillthethreefoldtrackwentboundingon;

  anotherhourandnochange,butinterminableclimbing,sliding,struggling,throughbrushandoverboulders,guidedbythefar—awayyelpingoftheDogs。

  Nowthechaseleddownwardtothelowvalleyoftheriver,wheretherewasscarcelyanysnow。Jumpingandscramblingdownhills,recklesslyleapingdangerousgulliesandslipperyrocks,wefeltthatwecouldnotholdoutmuchlonger;whenonthelowest,dryestlevelthepacksplit,somewentup,somewentdown,andothersstraighton。Oh,howKingdidswear!Heknewatoncewhatitmeant。TheWolveshadscattered,andsohaddividedthepack。

  ThreeDogsafteraWolfwouldhavenochance,fourcouldnotkillhim,twowouldcertainlybekilled。Andyetthiswasthefirstencouragingsignwehadseen,foritmeantthattheWolveswerehardpressed。WespurredaheadtostoptheDogs,topickforthemtheonlytrail。Butthatwasnotsoeasy。WithoutsnowhereandwithcountlessDogtracks,wewerefoiled。AllwecoulddowastolettheDogschoose,butkeepthemtoasinglechoice。Awaywewentasbefore,hoping,yetfearingthatwewerenotontherighttrack。TheDogsranwell,veryfastindeed。Thiswasabadsign,Kingsaid,butwecouldnotgetsightofthetrackbecausetheDogsoverranitbeforewecame。

  Afteratwo—milerunthechaseledupwardagaininsnowcountry;

  theWolfwassighted,buttoourdisgust,wewereonthetrackofthesmallestone。

  \"Ithoughtso,\"growledyoungPenroof。\"Dogswasaltogethertookeenforaseriousproposition。Kindo’surpriseditain’tturnedoutaJack—rabbit。\"

  Withinanothermilehehadturnedtobayinawillowthicket。Weheardhimhowlthelong—drawnhowlforhelp,andbeforewecouldreachtheplaceKingsawtheDogsrecoilandscatter。AminutelatertherespedfromthefarsideofthethicketasmallGray—wolfandaBlackOneofverymuchgreatersize。

  \"Bygolly,ifhedidn’tyellforhelp,andBillycomebacktohelphim;that’sgreat!\"exclaimedthewolver。AndmyheartwentouttothebraveoldWolfthatrefusedtoescapebyabandoninghisfriend。

  Thenexthourwasahardrepetitionofthegullyriding,butitwasonthehighlandswheretherewassnow,andwhenagainthepackwassplit,westrainedeverypowerandsucceededinkeepingthemonthebig\"five—fiftytrack,\"thatalreadywaswearingformetheglamourofromance。

  EvidentlytheDogspreferredeitheroftheothers,butwegotthemgoingatlast。Anotherhalfhour’shardworkandfarahead,asIrosetoabroadflatplain,IhadmyfirstglimpseoftheBigBlackWolfofSentinelButte。

  \"Hurrah!BadlandsBilly!Hurrah!BadlandsBilly!\"Ishoutedinsalute,andtheotherstookupthecry。

  Wewereonhistrackatlast,thankstohimself。TheDogsjoinedinwithalouderbaying,theGreyhoundsyelpedandmadestraightforhim,andtheHorsessniffedandsprangmoregamelyastheycaughtthethrill。Theonlysilentonewastheblack—manedWolf,andasImarkedhissizeandpower,andaboveallhislongandmassivejaws,IknewwhytheDogspreferredsomeothertrail。

  Withheadandtaillowhewasboundingoverthesnow。Histonguewaslollinglong;plainlyhewashardpressed。Thewolvers’handsflewtotheirrevolvers,thoughhewasthreehundredyardsahead;

  theywereoutforblood,notsport。Butaninstantlaterhehadsunkfromviewinthenearestshelteredca駉n。

  Nowwhichwaywouldhego,upordowntheca駉n?Upwastowardhismountain,downwasbettercover。KingandIthought\"up,\"sopressedwestwardalongtheridge。Buttheothersrodeeastward,watchingforachancetoshoot。

  Soonwehadriddenoutofhearing。Wewerewrong——theWolfhadgonedown,butweheardnoshooting。Theca駉nwascrossablehere;wereachedtheothersideandthenturnedbackatagallop,scanningthesnowforatrail,thehillsforamovingform,orthewindforasoundoflife。

  \"Squeak,squeak,\"wentoursaddleleathers,\"puff—puff\"ourHorses,andtheirfeet\"ka—ka—lump,ka—ka—lump。\"

  X

  WHENBILLYWENTBACKTOHISMOUNTAIN

  WewerebackoppositetowheretheWolfhadplunged,butsawnosign。Werodeataneasygallop,oneastward,amile,andstillon,whenKinggaspedout,\"Lookatthat!\"Adarkspotwasmovingonthesnowahead。Weputonspeed。Anotherdarkspotappeared,andanother,buttheywerenotgoingfast。Infiveminuteswewerenearthem,tofind——threeofourownGreyhounds。Theyhadlostsightofthegame,andwiththattheirinterestwaned。Nowtheywereseekingus。Wesawnothingthereofthechaseoroftheotherhunters。Buthasteningtothenextridgewestumbledonthetrailwesoughtandfollowedashardasthoughinview。Anotherca駉ncameinourpath,andaswerodeandlookedforaplacetocross,awilddinofHoundscamefromitsbrushydepth。Theclamorgrewandpassedupthemiddle。

  Weracedalongtherim,hopingtoseethegame。TheDogsappearednearthefartherside,notinapack,butalong,stragglingline。Infiveminutesmoretheyrosetotheedge,andaheadofthemwasthegreatBlackWolf。Hewaslopingasbefore,headandtaillow。Powerwasplainineverylimb,anddoublepowerinhisjawsandneck,butIthoughthisboundswereshorternow,andthattheyhadlosttheirspring。TheDogsslowlyreachedtheupperlevel,andsightinghimtheybrokeintoafeeblecry;they,too,werenearlyspent。TheGreyhoundssawthechase,andleavingustheyscrambleddowntheca駉nanduptheothersideatimpetuousspeedthatwouldsurelybreakthemdown,whilewerode,vainlyseekingmeansofcrossing。

  Howthewolverravedtoseethepackleadoffintheclimaxofthechase,andhimselfheldupbehind。Butherodeandwrathedandstillrode,uptowheretheca駉ndwindled——roughlandandahardride。Aswenearedthegreatflatmountain,thefeeblecryofthepackwasheardagainfromthesouth,thentowardthehighButte’sside,andjustatrifleloudernow。Wereinedinonahillockandscannedthesnow。Amovingspeckappeared,thenothers,notbunched,butinastragglingtrain,andattimestherewasafarfaintcry。Theywereheadedtowardus,comingon,yes!coming,butsoslowly,fornotonewasreallyrunningnow。

  TherewasthegrimoldCow—killerlimpingovertheground,andfarbehindaGreyhound,andanother,andfartherstill,theotherDogsinorderoftheirspeed,slowly,gamely,draggingthemselvesonthatpursuit。Manyhoursofhardesttoilhaddonetheirwork。

  TheWolfhadvainlysoughttoflingthemoff。Nowwashishourofdoom,forhewasspent;theystillhadsomereserve。Straighttousforatimetheycame,skirtingthebaseofthemountain,crawling。

  Wecouldnotcrosstojointhem,soheldourbreathandgazedwithravenouseyes。Theywerenearernow,thewindbroughtfeeblenotesfromtheHounds。ThebigWolfturnedtothesteepascent,upawell—knowntrail,itseemed,forhemadenoslip。Myheartwentwithhim,forhehadcomebacktorescuehisfriend,andamomentarythrillofpitycameoverusboth,aswesawhimglancearoundanddraghimselfuptheslopingway,todieonhismountain。Therewasnoescapeforhim,besetbyfifteenDogswithmentobackthem。Hewasnotwalking,buttotteringupward;theDogsbehindinline,werenowdoingalittlebetter,werenearinghim。Wecouldhearthemgasping;wescarcelyheardthembay——theyhadnobreathforthat;upwardthegrimprocessionwent,circlingaspuroftheButteandalongaledgethatclimbedandnarrowed,thendroppedforafewyardstoashelfthatrearedabovethecanon。TheforemostDogswereclosing,fearlessofafoesonearlyspent。

  Hereinthenarrowestplace,whereonewrongstepmeantdeath,thegreatWolfturnedandfacedthem。Withfore—feetbraced,withheadlowandtailalittleraised,hisduskymanea—bristling,hisglitteringtuskslaidbare,bututteringnosoundthatwecouldhear,hefacedthecrew。Hislegswereweakwithtoil,buthisneck,hisjaws,andhisheartwerestrong,and——nowallyouwholovetheDogshadbetterclosethebook——on——upanddown——fifteentoone,theycame,theswiftestfirst,andhowitwasdone,theeyecouldscarcelysee,butevenasastreamofwaterpoursonarocktobesplashedinbrokenJetsaside,thatstreamofDogscamepouringdownthepath,insinglefileperforce,andDuskymanereceivedthemastheycame。Afeeblespring,acounter—lunge,agash,and\"Fango’sdown,\"haslosthisfootholdandisgone。DanderandCoaliecloseandtrytoclinch;arush,aheave,andtheyarefallenfromthatnarrowpath。Blue—spotthen,backedbymightyOscarandfearlessTige——buttheWolfisnexttherockandtheflashofcombatclearstoshowhimtherealone,thebigDogsgone;therestclosein,thehindmostforcetheforemoston——down—totheirdeath。Slash,chopandheave,fromtheswiftesttothebiggest,tothelast,down——down——hesentthemwhirlingfromtheledgetothegapinggulchbelow,whererocksandsnagsoftrunksweresharptodotheirwork。

  Infiftysecondsitwasdone。Therockhadsplashedthestreamaside——thePenroofpackwasallwipedout;andBadlandsBillystoodthere,aloneagainonhismountain。

  Amomenthewaitedtolookformoretocome。Therewerenomore,thepackwasdead;butwaitinghegothisbreath,thenraisinghisvoiceforthefirsttimeinthatfatalscene,hefeeblygavealongyelloftriumph,andscalingthenextlowbank,wasscreenedfromviewinaca駉nofSentinelButte。

  Westaredlikemenofstone。Thegunsinourhandswereforgotten。Itwasallsoquick,sofinal。WemadenomovetilltheWolfwasgone。Itwasnotfartotheplace:wewentonfoottoseeifanyhadescaped。Notonewasleftalive。Wecoulddonothing——wecouldsaynothing。

  XI

  THEHOWLATSUNSET

  AweeklaterwewereridingtheuppertrailbackoftheChimneyPot,KingandI。\"Theoldmanisprettysickofit,\"hesaid。

  \"He’dselloutifhecould。Hedon’tknowwhat’sthenextmove。\"

  ThesunwentdownbeyondSentinelButte。ItwasduskaswereachedtheturnthatledtoDumont’splace,andadeep—tonedrollinghowlcamefromtheriverflatbelow,followedbyanumberofhigher—pitchedhowlsinansweringchorus。Wecouldseenothing,butwelistenedhard。Thesongwasrepeated,thehunting—cryoftheWolves。Itfaded,thenightwasstirredbyanother,thesharpbarkandtheshorthowl,thesignal\"closein\";abellowcameup,veryshort,foritwascutshort。

  AndKingashetouchedhisHorsesaidgrimly:\"That’shim,heisoutwiththepack,an’thargoesanotherBeef。\"

  THEBOYANDTHELYNX

  I

  THEBOY

  Hewasbarelyfifteen,aloverofsportanduncommonlykeen,evenforabeginner。FlocksofWildPigeonshadbeencomingalldayacrosstheblueLakeofCayggeonull,andperchinginlineonthedeadlimbsofthegreatrampikesthatstoodasmonumentsoffire,aroundthelittleclearingintheforest,theyaffordedtemptingmarks;buthefollowedthemforhoursinvain。Theyseemedtoknowtheexactrangeoftheold—fashionedshotgunandroseonnoisywingseachtimebeforehewasnearenoughtofire。Atlengthasmallflockscatteredamongthelowgreentreesthatgrewaboutthespring,nearthelogshanty,andtakingadvantageofthecover,Thorburnwentingently。HecaughtsightofasinglePigeonclosetohim,tookalongaimandfired。Asharpcrackresoundedatalmostthesametimeandthebirdfelldead。

  Thorburnrushedtoseizetheprizejustasatallyoungmansteppedintoviewandpickeditup。

  \"Hello,Corney!yougotmybird!\"

  \"Yourburrud!Sureyoursflewawaythayre。IsawthemsettlehayerandthoughtI’dmakesureofwanwiththerifle。\"

  Acarefulexaminationshowedthatarifle—ballaswellasachargeofshothadstruckthePigeon。Thegunnershadfiredonthesamebird。Bothenjoyedthejoke,thoughithaditsseriousside,forfoodaswellasammunitionwasscarceinthatbackwoodshome。

  Corney,asuperbspecimenofasix—footIrish—Canadianinearlymanhood,nowledawaytothelogshantywheretheveryscarcityofluxuriesandtheroughnessoftheirlivesweresourcesofmerriment。FortheColts,thoughbornandbredinthebackwoodsofCanada,hadlostnothingofthespiritthatmakestheIrishbloodaworld—widesynonymofheartinessandwit。

  Corneywastheeldestsonofalargefamily。TheoldfolkslivedatPetersay,twenty—fivemilestothesouthward。Hehadtakenupa\"claim\"tocarvehisownhomeoutofthewoodsatFenebonk,andhisgrownsisters,Margat,staidandreliable,andLoo,brightandwitty,werekeepinghouseforhim。ThorburnAlderwasvisitingthem。Hehadjustrecoveredfromasevereillnessandhadbeensenttoroughitinthewoodsinhopeofwinningsomeofthevigorofhishosts。Theirhomewasofunhewnlogs,unfloored,androofedwithsods,whichborealuxuriantcropofgrassandweeds。Theprimitivewoodsaroundwerebrokenintwoplaces:onewheretheroughestofroadsledsouthwardtoPetersay;theotherwherethesparklinglakerolledonapebblyshoreandgaveaglimpseoftheirnearestneighbor’shouse——fourmilesacrossthewater。

  Theirdailyroundhadlittlechange。Corneywasupatdaybreaktolightthefire,callhissisters,andfeedthehorseswhiletheypreparedbreakfast。AtsixthemealwasoverandCorneywenttohiswork。Atnoon,whichMargatknewbytheshadowofacertainrampikefallingonthespring,aclearnotificationtodrawfreshwaterforthetable,Loowouldhangawhiteragonapole,andCorney,seeingthesignal,wouldreturnfromsummerfalloworhayfield,grimy,swarthy,andruddy,apictureofmanlyvigorandhonesttoil。Thormightbeawayallday,butatnight,whentheyagainassembledatthetable,hewouldcomefromlakeordistantridgeandeatasupperlikethedinnerandbreakfast,formealsaswellasdayswereexactrepeats:pork,bread,potatoes,andtea,withoccasionallyeggssuppliedbyadozenhensaroundthelittlelogstable,with,rarely,avariationofwildmeat,forThorwasnotahunterandCorneyhadlittletimeforanythingbutthefarm。

  II

  THELYNX

  Ahugefour—footbasswoodhadgonethewayofalltrees。Deathhadbeengenerous——hadsentthethreewarnings:itwasthebiggestofitskind,itschildrenweregrownup,itwashollow。

  Thewintryblastthatsentitdownhadbrokenitacrossandrevealedagreatholewhereshouldhavebeenitsheart。Alongwoodencaverninthemiddleofasunnyopening,itnowlay,andpresentedanidealhomeforaLynxwhenshesoughtashelterednesting—placeforhercomingbrood。

  Oldwassheandgaunt,forthiswasayearofhardtimesfortheLynxes。ARabbitplaguetheautumnbeforehadsweptawaytheirmainsupport;awinterofdeepsnowandsuddencrustshadkilledoffnearlyallthePartridges;alongwetspringhaddestroyedthefewgrowingcoveysandhadkeptthepondsandstreamssofullthatFishandFrogsweresafefromtheirarmedpaws,andthismotherLynxfarednobetterthanherkind。

  Thelittleones——halfstarvedbeforetheycame——wereadoubledrain,fortheytookthetimeshemighthavespentinhunting。

  TheNorthernHareisthefavoritefoodoftheLynx,andinsomeyearsshecouldhavekilledfiftyinoneday,butneveronedidsheseethisseason。Theplaguehaddoneitsworktoowell。

  OnedayshecaughtaRed—squirrelwhichhadrunintoahollowlogthatprovedatrap。AnotherdayafetidBlacksnakewasheronlyfood。Adaywasmissed,andthelittleoneswhinedpiteouslyfortheirnaturalfoodandfailingdrink。Onedayshesawalargeblackanimalofunpleasantbutfamiliarsmell。Swiftlyandsilentlyshesprangtomakeattack。Shestruckitonceonthenose,butthePorcupinedoubledhisheadunder,histailflewup,andthemotherLynxwasspearedinadozenplaceswiththelittlestingingjavelins。Shedrewthemallwithherteeth,forshehad\"learnedPorcupine\"yearsbefore,andonlythehardpushofwantwouldhavemadeherstrikeonenow。

  AFrogwasallshecaughtthatday。Onthenext,assherangedthefarthestwoodsinalong,hardhunt,sheheardasingularcallingvoice。Itwasnewtoher。Sheapproacheditcautiously,upwind,gotmanynewodorsandsomemorestrangesoundsincoming。Theloud,clear,rollingcallwasrepeatedasthemotherLynxcametoanopeningintheforest。Inthemiddleofitweretwoenormousmuskratorbeaver—houses,farbiggerthanthebiggestsheeverbeforehadseen。Theyweremadepartlyoflogsandsituated,notinapond,butonadryknoll。WalkingaboutthemwereanumberofPartridges,thatis,birdslikePartridges,onlylargerandofvariouscolors,red,yellow,andwhite。

  Shequiveredwiththeexcitementthatinamanwouldhavebeencalledbuck—fever。Food——food——abundanceoffood,andtheoldhuntresssanktoearth。Herbreastwasontheground,herelbowsaboveherback,asshemadestalk,hershrewdest,subtleststalk;

  oneofthosePartridgesshemusthaveatanyprice;notricknowmustgountried,noerrorinthishunt;ifittookhours——allday——shemustapproachwithcertaintytowinbeforethequarrytooktoflight。

  Onlyafewboundsitwasfromwoodsheltertothegreatrat—house,butshewasanhourincrawlingthatsmallspace。Fromstumptobrush,fromlogtobunchofgrassshesneaked,aflattenedform,andthePartridgessawhernot。Theyfedabout,thebiggestutteringtheringingcallthatfirsthadfallenonherear。

  Oncetheyseemedtosensetheirperil,butalongawaitdispelledthefear。Nowtheywerealmostinreach,andshetrembledwithalltheeagernessofthehuntingheartandthehungrymaw。Hereyecentredonawhiteonenotquitethenearest,butthecolorseemedtoholdhergaze。

  Therewasanopenspacearoundtherat—house;outsidethatweretallweeds,andstumpswerescatteredeverywhere。Thewhitebirdwanderedbehindtheseweeds,theredoneoftheloudvoiceflewtothetopoftherat—moundandsangasbefore。ThemotherLynxsankloweryet。Itseemedanalarmnote;butno,thewhiteonestillwasthere;shecouldseeitsfeathersgleamingthroughtheweeds。Anopenspacenowlayabout。Thehuntress,flattenedlikeanemptyskin,trailedslowandsilentonthegroundbehindalognothickerthanherneck;ifshecouldreachthattuftofbrushshecouldgetunseentotheweedsandthenwouldbenearenoughtospring。Shecouldsmellthemnow——therichandpotentsmelloflife,offleshandblood,thatsetherlimbsa—tingleandhereyesa—glow。

  ThePartridgesstillscratchedandfed;anotherflewtothehightop,butthewhiteoneremained。Fivemoreslow—gliding,silentsteps,andtheLynxwasbehindtheweeds,thewhitebirdshiningthrough;shegaugedthedistance,triedthefooting,swungherhindlegstoclearsomefallenbrush,thenleapeddirectwithallherforce,andthewhiteoneneverknewthedeathitdied,forthefatefulgrayshadowdropped,theswiftanddeadlydidtheirwork,andbeforetheotherbirdscouldrealizethefoeorfly,theLynxwasgone,withthewhitebirdsquirminginherjaws。

  Utteringanunnecessarygrowlofinbornferocityandjoysheboundedintotheforest,andbee—likespedforhome。Thelastquiverhadgonefromthewarmbodyofthevictimwhensheheardthesoundofheavyfeetahead。Sheleapedonalog。Thewingsofherpreyweremufflinghereyes,soshelaidthebirddownandhelditsafelywithonepaw。Thesounddrewnearer,thebushesbent,andaBoysteppedintoview。TheoldLynxknewandhatedhiskind。Shehadwatchedthematnight,hadfollowedthem,hadbeenhuntedandhurtbythem。Foramomenttheystoodfacetoface。Thehuntressgrowledawarningthatwasalsoachallengeandadefiance,pickedupthebirdandboundedfromthelogintotheshelteringbushes。Itwasamileortwototheden,butshestayednottoeattillthesunlitopeningandthebigbasswoodcametoview;thenalow\"prr—prr\"calledforththelittleonestorevelwiththeirmotherinaplenteousmealofthechoicestfood。

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