第5章
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  Fivehundredlittleboxeswithfivehundredbright—eyedJack—rabbitswereputonthetrainthatday,andamongthemwasLittleJackWarhorse。

  V

  Rabbitstaketheirtroubleslightly,anditisnottobesupposedthatanygreatterrorwasfeltbytheboxedJacks,oncetheuproarofthemassacrewasover;andwhentheyreachedtheCoursingParknearthegreatcityandwereturnedoutonebyone,verygently,——yes,gently;theRomanguardswerecarefuloftheirprisoners,beingresponsibleforthem,——theJacksfoundlittletocomplainof,abiginclosurewithplentyofgoodfood,andnoenemiestoannoythem。

  Theverynextmorningtheirtrainingbegan。Ascoreofhatchwayswereopenedintoamuchlargerfield——thePark。AfteranumberofJackshadwanderedoutthroughthesedoorsarabbleofboysappearedanddrovethemback,pursuingthemnoisilyuntilallwereagaininthesmallerfield,calledtheHaven。AfewdaysofthistaughttheJack—rabbitsthatwhenpursuedtheirsafetywastogetbackbyoneofthehatchesintotheHaven。

  Nowthesecondlessonbegan。ThewholebandweredrivenoutofasidedoorintoalonglanewhichledaroundthreesidesoftheParktoanotherinclosureatthefarend。ThiswastheStartingPen。Itsdoorintothearena——thatis,thePark——wasopened,theRabbitsdrivenforth,andthenamobofboysandDogsinhiding,burstforthandpursuedthemacrosstheopen。Thewholearmywentbobbingandboundingaway,someoftheyoungeronessoaringinaspy—hop,asamatterofhabit;butlowskimmingaheadofthemallwasagorgeousblack—and—whiteone;clean—limbedandbright—eyed,hehadattractedattentioninthepen,butnowinthefieldheledthebandwitheasylopethatputhimasfaraheadofthemallastheywereaheadoftherabbleofcommonDogs。

  \"Lukatthot,wouldye——butain’theaLittleWarhorse?\"shoutedavillainous—lookingIrishstable—boy,andthushewasnamed。

  WhenhalfwayacrossthecoursetheJacksrememberedtheHaven,andallswepttowarditandinlikeasnow—cloudoverthedrifts。

  Thiswasthesecondlesson——toleadstraightfortheHavenassoonasdrivenfromthePen。Inaweekallhadlearnedit,andwerereadyforthegreatopeningmeetoftheCoursingClub。

  TheLittleWarhorsewasnowwellknowntothegroomsandhangers—on;hiscolorsusuallymarkedhimclearly,andhisleadershipwasinameasurerecognizedbythelong—earedherdthatfledwithhim。HefiguredmoreorlesswiththeDogsinthetalkandbettingofthemen。

  \"WonderifoldDignamisgoingtoenterMinkiethisyear?\"

  \"Faix,an’ifhedoesIbettheLittleWarhorsewilltakethegimpoutavheran’herrunnin’mate。\"

  \"I’llbetthreetoonethatmyoldJenwillpicktheWarhorseupbeforehepassesthegrandstand,\"growledadog—man。

  \"An’it’smeselfwilltakethotbetindollars,\"saidMickey,\"an’,moorethanthot,Oi’llputupahullmonth’sstuffthotthereain’tadoginthematethotkinturrntheWarrhorrseoncetonthehullcoorse。\"

  Sotheywrangledandwagered,buteachday,astheyputtheRabbitsthroughtheirpaces,thereweremoreofthosewhobelievedthattheyhadfoundawonderfulrunnerintheWarhorse,onethatwouldgivethebestGreyhoundssomethingthatisrarelyseen,astraightsternchasefromStarttoGrandStandandHaven。

  VI

  Thefirstmorningofthemeetarrivedbrightandpromising。TheGrandStandwasfilledwithacitycrowd。Theusualtypesofaracecourseappearedinforce。Hereandthereweretobeseenthedog—groomsleadinginleashsingleGreyhoundsorcouples,shroudedinblankets,butshowingtheirsinewylegs,theirsnakynecks,theirshapelyheadswithlongreptilianjaws,andtheirquick,nervousyelloweyes——hybridsofnaturalforceandhumaningenuity,themostwonderfulrunning—machinesevermadeoffleshandblood。Theirkeepersguardedthemlikejewels,tendedthemlikebabies,andwerecarefultokeepthemfrompickingupoddeatables,aswellaspreventthemsmellingunusualobjectsorbeingapproachedbystrangers。LargesumswerewageredontheseDogs,andacunninglyplacedtack,apieceofdoctoredmeat,yes,anartfullycompoundedsmell,hasbeenknowntoturnasuperbyoungrunnerintoalifelesslaggard,andtotheownerthismightspellruin。TheDogsenteredineachclassarepairedoff,aseachcontestissupposedtobeaduel;thewinnersinthefirstseriesarethenpairedagain。Ineachtrial,aJackisdrivenfromtheStarting—pen;closebyinoneleasharetherivalDogs,heldbytheslipper。AssoonastheHareiswellaway,themanhastogettheDogsevenlystartedandslipthemtogether。Onthefieldisthejudge,scarlet—coatedandwellmounted。Hefollowsthechase。TheHare,mindfulofhistraining,speedsacrosstheopen,towardtheHaven,infullviewoftheGrandStand。TheDogsfollowtheJack。Asthefirstonecomesnearenoughtobedangerous,theHarebalkshimbydodging。EachtimetheHareisturned,scoresfortheDogthatdidit,andafinalpointismadebythekill。

  Sometimesthekilltakesplacewithinonehundredyardsofthestart——thatmeansapoorJack;mostlyithappensinfrontoftheGrandStand;butonrareoccasionsitchancesthattheJackgoessailingacrosstheopenParkagoodhalf—mileand,bydodgingfortime,runstosafetyintheHaven。Fourfinishesarepossible:aspeedykill;aspeedywinningoftheHaven;newDogstorelievethefirstrunners,whowouldsufferheart—collapseintheterrificstrainoftheirpace,ifkeptupmanyminutesinhotweather;andfinally,forRabbitsthatbycontinueddodgingdefyandjeopardizetheDogs,andyetdonotwintheHaven,thereiskeptaloadedshotgun。

  ThereisjustasmuchjockeyingataKaskadocoursingasataKaskadohorse—race,justasmanyattemptsatfraud,anditisjustasnecessarytohavethejudgeandslipperbeyondsuspicion。

  ThedaybeforethenextmeetamanofdiamondssawIrishMickey——bychance。Acigarwasallthatvisiblypassed,butithadagreenwrapperthatwasslippedoffbeforelighting。Thenaword:\"Ifyouwuzslipperto—morrowanditsocameaboutthatDignam’sMinkiegetsdone,wall,——itmeansanothercigar。\"

  \"Faix,an’ifIwuzslipperIcouldloadthedicesoMinkiewouldflyerscoreap’int,butherrunnin’matewouldhavethesamebadluck。\"

  \"Thatso?\"Thediamondmanlookedinterested。\"Allright——fixitso;itmeanstwocigars。\"

  SlipperSlymanhadalwaysdealtonthesquare,hadscornedmanyapproaches——thatwaswellknown。Mostbelievedinhim,butthereweresomemalcontents,andwhenamanwithmanygoldsealsapproachedtheStewardandformulatedcharges,seriousandwell—backed,theymustperforcesuspendtheslipperpendinganinquiry,andthusMickeyDooreignedinhisstead。

  Mickeywaspoorandnotover—scrupulous。Herewasachancetomakeayear’spayinaminute,nothingwrongaboutit,noharmtotheDogortheRabbiteither。

  OneJack—rabbitismuchlikeanother。Everybodyknowsthat;itwassimplyaquestionofchoosingyourJack。

  Thepreliminarieswereover。FiftyJackshadbeenrunandkilled。

  Mickeyhaddonehisworksatisfactorily;afairsliphadbeengiventoeveryleash。Hewasstillincommandasslipper。Nowcamethefinalforthecup——thecupandthelargestakes。

  VII

  ThereweretheslimandelegantDogsawaitingtheirturn。Minkieandherrivalwerefirst。Everythinghadbeenfairsofar,andwhocansaythatwhatfollowedwasunfair?MickeycouldturnoutwhichJackhepleased。

  \"Numberthree!\"hecalledtohispartner。

  OutleapedtheLittleWarhorse,——blackandwhitehisgreatears,easyandlowhisfive—footbounds;gazingwildlyattheunwontedcrowdaboutthePark,heleapedhighinonesurprisingspy—hop。

  \"Hrrrrr!\"shoutedtheslipper,andhispartnerrattledastickonthefence。TheWarhorse’sboundsincreasedtoeightorninefeet。

  \"Hrrrrrr!\"andtheyweretenortwelvefeet。AtthirtyyardstheHoundswereslipped——anevenslip;somethoughtitcouldhavebeendoneattwentyyards。

  \"Hrrrrrr!Hrrrrrrr!\"andtheWarhorsewasdoingfourteen—footleaps,notaspy—hopamongthem。

  \"Hrrrrr!\"wonderfulDogs!howtheysailed;butdriftingaheadofthem,likeawhitesea—birdorflyingscud,wastheWarhorse。

  AwaypasttheGrandStand。AndtheDogs——weretheyclosingthegapofstart?Closing!Itwaslengthening!Inlesstimethanittakestotellit,thatblack—and—whitethistledownhaddriftedawaythroughtheHavendoor,——thedoorsolikethatgoodoldhen—hole,——andtheGrey—houndspulledupamidstaroarofderisionandcheersfortheLittleWarhorse。HowMickeydidlaugh!HowDignamdidswear!Howthenewspapermendidscribble——scribble——scribble!

  Nextdaytherewasaparagraphinallthepapers:\"WONDERFULFEAT

  OFAJACKRABBIT。TheLittleWarhorse,ashehasbeenstyled,completelyskunkedtwoofthemostfamousDogsontheturf,\"etc。

  Therewasafiercewrangleamongthedog—men。Thiswasatie,sinceneitherhadscored,andMinkieandherrivalwereallowedtorunagain;butthathalf—milehadbeentoohot,andtheyhadnoshowforthecup。

  Mickeymet\"Diamonds\"nextday,bychance。

  \"Haveacigar,Mickey。\"

  \"Oiwillthot,sor。Faix,thim’ssofoine;I’dloiketwo——thankye,sor。\"

  VIII

  FromthattimetheLittleWarhorsebecametheprideoftheIrishboy。SlipperSlymanhadbeenhonorablyreinstatedandMickeyreducedtotherankofJack—starter,butthatmerelyhelpedtoturnhissympathiesfromtheDogstotheRabbits,orrathertotheWarhorse,forofallthefivehundredthatwerebroughtinfromthedrivehealonehadwonrenown。TherewereseveralthatcrossedtheParktorunagainanotherday,buthealonehadcrossedthecoursewithoutgettingevenaturn。Twiceaweekthemeetstookplace;fortyorfiftyJackswerekilledeachtime,andthefivehundredinthepenhadbeennearlyalleatenofthearena。

  TheWarhorsehadruneachday,andasoftenhadmadetheHaven。

  Mickeybecamewildlyenthusiasticabouthisfavorite’spowers。Hebegotapositiveaffectionfortheclean—limbedracer,andstoutlymaintainedagainstallthatitwasapositivehonortoaDogtobedisgracedbysuchaJack。

  ItissoseldomthataRabbitcrossesthetrackatall,thatwhenJackdiditsixtimeswithouthavingtododge,thepaperstooknoteofit,andaftereachmeetthereappearedanotice:\"TheLittleWarhorsecrossedagaintoday;old—timerssayitshowshowourDogsaredeteriorating。\"

  Afterthesixthtimetherabbit—keepersgrewenthusiastic,andMickey,commander—in—chiefofthebrigade,becameintemperateinhisadmiration。\"Bejabers,hehasarighttobetornedloose。HehaswonhisfreedomloikeiveryAmerikindone,\"headded,bywayofappealtothepatriotismoftheStewardoftherace,whowas,ofcourse,therealowneroftheJacks。

  \"Allright,Mick;ifhegetsacrossthirteentimesyoucanshiphimbacktohisnativeland,\"wasthereply。

  \"Shurenow,an’won’tyoumakeittin,sor?\"

  \"No,no;IneedhimtotaketheconceitoutofsomeofthenewDogsthatarecoming。\"

  \"Thirteentoimesandheisfree,sor;it’sabargain。\"

  AnewlotofRabbitsarrivedaboutthistime,andoneofthesewascoloredmuchlikeLittleWarhorse。Hehadnosuchspeed,buttopreventmistakesMickeycaughthisfavoritebydrivinghimintooneofthepaddedshipping—boxes,andproceededwiththegate—keeper’spunchtoearmarkhim。Thepunchwassharp;aclearstarwascutoutofthethinflap,whenMickeyexclaimed:\"Faix,an’Oi’llpunchforiverytoimeyecrossthecoorse。\"Sohecutsixstarsinarow。\"Thayernow,Warrhorrse,shureit’safreeRabbitye’llbewhenyehaveyerthirteenstarslikeourflagoflibertyhedwhenwegotfree。\"

  WithinaweektheWarhorsehadvanquishedthenewGreyhoundsandhadstarsenoughtogoroundtherightearandbeginontheleft。

  Inaweekmorethethirteenrunswerecompleted,sixstarsintheleftearandsevenintheright,andthenewspapershadnewmaterial。

  \"Whoop!\"HowMickeyhoorayed!\"An’it’safreeJackyeare,Warrhorrse!Thirteenalwayswuzaluckynumber。Ineverknowedittofail。\"

  IX

  \"Yes,IknowIdid,\"saidtheSteward。\"ButIwanttogivehimonemorerun。IhaveabetonhimagainstanewDoghere。Itwon’thurthimnow;hecandoit。Oh,well。Herenow,Mickey,don’tyougetsassy。Onerunmorethisafternoon。TheDogsruntwoorthreetimesaday;whynottheJack?\"

  \"They’renotshtakin’thayreloives,sor。\"

  \"Oh,yougetout。\"

  ManymoreRabbitshadbeenaddedtothepen,——bigandsmall,peacefulandwarlike,——andonebigBuckofsavageinstincts,seeingJackWarhorse’shurrieddashintotheHaventhatmorning,tookadvantageofthemomenttoattackhim。

  AtanothertimeJackwouldhavethumpedhisskull,asheoncedidtheCat’s,andsettledtheaffairinaminute;butnowittookseveralminutes,duringwhichhehimselfgotroughlyhandled;sowhentheafternooncamehewassufferingfromoneortwobruisesandstiffeningwounds;notserious,indeed,butenoughtolowerhisspeed。

  Thestartwasmuchlikethoseofpreviousruns。TheWarhorsesteamingawaylowandlightly,hisearsupandthebreezeswhistlingthroughhisthirteenstars。

  MinkiewithFango,thenewDog,boundedineagerpursuit,but,tothesurpriseofthestarters,thegapgrewsmaller。TheWarhorsewaslosingground,andrightbeforetheGrandStandoldMinkieturnedhim,andacheerwentupfromthedog—men,forallknewtherunners。WithinfiftyyardsFangoscoredaturn,andtheracewasrightbacktothestart。TherestoodSlymanandMickey。TheRabbitdodged,theGreyhoundsplunged;Jackcouldnotgetaway,andjustasthefinalsnapseemednear,theWarhorseleapedstraightforMickey,andinaninstantwashiddeninhisarms,whilethestarter’sfeetflewoutinenergetickickstorepelthefuriousDogs。ItisnotlikelythattheJackknewMickeyforafriend;heonlyyieldedtotheoldinstincttoflyfromacertainenemytoaneutralorapossiblefriend,and,asluckwouldhaveit,hehadwiselyleapedandwell。AcheerwentupfromthebenchesasMickeyhurriedbackwithhisfavorite。Butthedog—menprotested\"itwasn’tafairrun——theywanteditfinished。\"TheyappealedtotheSteward。HehadbackedtheJackagainstFango。Hewassorenow,andorderedanewrace。

  Anhour’srestwasthebestMickeycouldgetforhim。Thenhewentasbefore,withFangoandMinkieinpursuit。Heseemedlessstiffnow——heranmorelikehimself;butalittlepasttheStandhewasturnedbyFangoandagainbyMinkie,andbackandacross,andhereandthere,leapingfranticallyandbarelyeludinghisfoes。Forseveralminutesitlasted。MickeycouldseethatJack’searsweresinking。ThenewDogleaped。Jackdodgedalmostunderhimtoescape,andbackonlytomeetthesecondDog;andnowbothearswereflatonhisback。ButtheHoundsweresufferingtoo。

  Theirtongueswerelollingout;theirjawsandheavingsidesweresplashedwithfoam。TheWarhorse’searswentupagain。Hiscourageseemedtoreviveintheirdistress。HemadeastraightdashfortheHaven;butthestraightdashwasjustwhattheHoundscoulddo,andwithinahundredyardshewasturnedagain,tobeginanotherdesperategameofzigzag。Thenthedog—mensawdangerfortheirDogs,andtwonewoneswereslipped——twofreshHounds;surelytheycouldendtherace。Buttheydidnot。Thefirsttwowerevanquished——gasping——outofit,butthenexttwowereracingnear。TheWarhorseputforthallhisstrength。Heleftthefirsttwofarbehind——wasnearlytotheHavenwhenthesecondtwocameup。

  Nothingbutdodgingcouldsavehimnow。Hisearsweresinking,hisheartwaspatteringonhisribs,buthisspiritwasstrong。

  Heflunghimselfinwildestzigzags。TheHoundstumbledovereachother。Againandagaintheythoughttheyhadhim。Oneofthemsnappedofftheendofhislongblacktail,yetheescaped;buthecouldnotgettotheHaven。Theluckwasagainsthim。HewasforcednearertotheGrandStand。Athousandladieswerewatching。Thetimelimitwasup。ThesecondDogsweresuffering,whenMickeycamerunning,yellinglikeamadman——words——imprecations——crazysounds:

  \"Yeblackguardhoodlums!Yedhirty,cowardlybastes!\"andherushedfuriouslyattheDogs,intenttodothembodilyharm。

  Officerscamerunningandshouting,andMickey,shriekinghatredanddefiance,wasdraggedfromthefield,revilingDogsandmenwitheveryhorrid,insultingnamehecouldthinkoforinvent。

  \"Fairplay!Whayer’syerfairplay,yeliars,yedhirtycheats,yebloodycowards!\"Andtheydrovehimfromthearena。ThelasthesawofitwasthefourfoamingDogsfeeblydodgingafteraweakandworn—outJack—rabbit,andthejudgeonhisHorsebeckoningtothemanwiththegun。

  Thegateclosedbehindhim,andMickeyheardabang—bang,anunusualuproarmixedwithyelpsofDogs,andheknewthatLittleJackWarhorsehadbeenservedwithfinishNo。4。

  AllhislifehehadlovedDogs,buthissenseoffairplaywasoutraged。Hecouldnotgetin,norseeinfromwherehewas。HeracedalongthelanetotheHaven,wherehemightgetagoodview,andarrivedintimetosee——LittleJackWarhorsewithhishalf—mastedearslimpintotheHaven;andherealizedatoncethatthemanwiththegunhadmissed,hadhitthewrongrunner,fortherewasthecrowdattheStandwatchingtwomenwhowerecarryingawoundedGreyhound,whileaveterinarysurgeonwasministeringtoanotherthatwaspantingontheground。

  Mickeylookedabout,seizedalittleshipping—box,putitattheangleoftheHaven,carefullydrovethetiredthingintoit,closedthelid,then,withtheboxunderhisarm,hescaledthefenceunseenintheconfusionandwasgone。

  ’Itdidn’tmatter;hehadlosthisjobanyway。’Hetrampedawayfromthecity。Hetookthetrainattheneareststationandtravelledsomehours,andnowhewasinRabbitcountryagain。Thesunhadlonggonedown;thenightwithitsstarswasovertheplainwhenamongthefarms,theOsageandalfalfa,MickeyDooopenedtheboxandgentlyputtheWarhorseout。

  Grinningashedidso,hesaid:\"Shurean’it’souldOirelandthot’sproudtosetthethirteenstarsatlibertywancemoore。\"

  ForamomenttheLittleWarhorsegazedindoubt,thentookthreeorfourlongleapsandaspy—hoptogethisbearings。Nowspreadinghisnationalcolorsandhishonor—markedears,heboundedintohishard—wonfreedom,strongasever,andmeltedintothenightofhisnativeplain。

  HehasbeenseenmanytimesinKaskado,andtherehavebeenmanyRabbitdrivesinthatregion,butheseemstoknowsomemeansofbafflingthemnow,for,inallthethousandsthathavebeentrappedandcorralled,theyhaveneversinceseenthestar—spangledearsofLittlejackWarhorse。

  SNAP

  THESTORYOFABULL—TERRIER

  I

  ItwasduskonHallowe’enwhenfirstIsawhim。EarlyinthemorningIhadreceivedatelegramfrommycollegechumJack:

  \"Lestweforget。Amsendingyouaremarkablepup。Bepolitetohim;it’ssafer。\"ItwouldhavebeenjustlikeJacktohavesentaninfernalmachineoraSkunkrampantandcalleditapup,soI

  awaitedthehamperwithcuriosity。WhenitarrivedIsawitwasmarked\"Dangerous,\"andtherecamefromwithinahigh—pitchedsnarlateveryslightprovocation。OnpeeringthroughthewirenettingIsawitwasnotababyTigerbutasmallwhiteBull—terrier。Hesnappedatmeandatanyoneoranythingthatseemedtooabruptortoonearforproperrespect,andhissnarlinggrowlwasunpleasantlyfrequent。Dogshavetwogrowls:

  onedeep—rumbled,andchesty;thatispolitewarning——theretortcourteous;theothermouthyandmuchhigherinpitch:thisisthelastwordbeforeactualonslaught。TheTerrier’sgrowlswereallofthelatterkind。Iwasadog—manandthoughtIknewallaboutDogs,so,dismissingtheporter,Igotoutmyall—roundjackknife——toothpick——nailhammer—hatchet—toolbox—fire—shovel,aspecialtyofourfirm,andliftedthenetting。Oh,yes,IknewallaboutDogs。Thelittlefuryhadbeengrowlingoutawhole—souledgrowlforeverytapofthetool,andwhenIturnedtheboxonitsside,hemadeadashstraightformylegs。Hadnothisfootgonethroughthewirenettingandheldhim,Imighthavebeenhurt,forhisheartwasevidentlyinhiswork;butIsteppedonthetableoutofreachandtriedtoreasonwithhim。Ihavealwaysbelievedintalkingtoanimals。Imaintainthattheygathersomethingofourintentionatleast,eveniftheydonotunderstandourwords;buttheDogevidentlyputmedownforahypocriteandscornedmyapproaches。Atfirsthetookhispostunderthetableandkeptupacircularwatchforalegtryingtogetdown。IfeltsureIcouldhavecontrolledhimwithmyeye,butIcouldnotbringittobearwhereIwas,orratherwherehewas;thusIwasleftaprisoner。Iamaverycoolperson,I

  flattermyself;infact,Irepresentahardwarefirm,and,incoolness,wearenotexcelledbyanybutperhapsthenosygentlementhatsellwearing—apparel。Igotoutacigarandsmokedtailor—styleonthetable,whilemylittletyrantbelowkeptwatchforlegs。Igotoutthetelegramandreadit:\"Remarkablepup。Bepolitetohim;it’ssafer。\"Ithinkitwasmycoolnessratherthanmypolitenessthatdidit,forinhalfanhourthegrowlingceased。Inanhourhenolongerjumpedatanewspapercautiouslypushedovertheedgetotesthishumor;possiblytheirritationofthecagewaswearingoff,andbythetimeIhadlitmythirdcigar,hewaddledouttothefireandlaydown;notignoringme,however,Ihadnoreasontocomplainofthatkindofcontempt。Hekeptoneeyeonme,andIkeptbotheyes,notonhim,butonhisstumpytail。IfthattailshouldswingsidewiseonceIshouldfeelIwaswinning;butitdidnotswing。Igotabookandputintimeonthattabletillmylegswerecrampedandthefireburnedlow。About10P。M。itwaschilly,andathalf—pasttenthefirewasout。MyHallowe’enpresentgotup,yawnedandstretched,thenwalkedundermybed,wherehefoundafurrug。Bysteppinglightlyfromthetabletothedresser,andthenontothemantel—shelf,Ialsoreachedbed,and,veryquietlyundressing,gotinwithoutprovokinganycriticismfrommymaster。IhadnotyetfallenasleepwhenIheardaslightscramblingandfelt\"thump—thump\"onthebed,thenovermyfeetandlegs;Snapevidentlyhadfoundittoocooldownbelow,andproposedtohavethebestmyhouseafforded。

  HecurleduponmyfeetinsuchawaythatIwasveryuncomfortableandtriedtoreadjustmatters,buttheslightestwriggleofmytoewasenoughtomakehimsnapatitsofiercelythatnothingbutthickwoollenbedclothessavedmefrombeingmaimedforlife。

  Iwasanhourmovingmyfeet——ahair’s—breadthatatime——tilltheyweresothatIcouldsleepincomfort;andIwasawakenedseveraltimesduringthenightbyangrysnarlsfromtheDog——I

  supposebecauseIdaredtomoveatoewithouthisapproval,thoughonceIbelievehediditsimplybecauseIwassnoring。

  InthemorningIwasreadytogetupbeforeSnapwas。Yousee,I

  callhimSnap—Ginger—snapinfull。SomeDogsarehardtoname,andsomedonotseemtoneedit——theynamethemselves。

  Iwasreadytoriseatseven。Snapwasnotreadytilleight,soweroseateight。Hehadlittletosaytothemanwhomadethefire。Heallowedmetodresswithoutdoingitonthetable。AsI

  lefttheroomtogetbreakfast,Iremarked:

  \"Snap,myfriend,somemenwouldwhipyouintoadifferentway,butIthinkIknowabetterplan。Thedoctorsnowadaysfavorthe’no—breakfastcure。’Ishalltrythat。\"

  Itseemedcruel,butIlefthimwithoutfoodallday。Itcostmesomethingtorepaintthedoorwherehescratchedit,butatnighthewasquitereadytoacceptalittlefoodatmyhands。

  Inaweekwewereverygoodfriends。Hewouldsleeponmybednowandallowmetomovemyfeetwithoutsnappingatthem,intenttodomeseriousbodilyharm。Theno—breakfastcurehadworkedwonders;inthreemonthswewere——well,simplymanandDog,andheamplyjustifiedthetelegramhecamewith。

  Heseemedtobewithoutfear。IfasmallDogcamenear,hewouldtakenottheslightestnotice;ifamedium—sizedDog,hewouldstickhisstubofatailrigidlyupintheair,thenwalkaroundhim,scratchingcontemptuouslywithhishindfeet,andlookingatthesky,thedistance,theground,anythingbuttheDog,andnotinghispresenceonlybyfrequenthigh—pitchedgrowls。Ifthestrangerdidnotmoveonatonce,thebattlebegan,andthenthestrangerusuallymovedonveryrapidly。Snapsometimesgotworsted,butnoamountofsadexperiencecouldeverinspirehimwithagrainofcaution。Once,whileridinginacabduringtheDogShow,SnapcaughtsightofanelephantineSt。Bernardtakinganairing。ItssizearousedsuchenthusiasminthePup’slittlebreastthatheleapedfromthecabwindowtodobattle,andbrokehisleg。

  Evidentlyfearhadbeenleftoutofhismake—upanditsplacesuppliedwithanextraamountofginger,whichwasthereasonofhisfullname。HedifferedfromallotherDogsIhaveeverknown。

  Forexample,ifaboythrewastoneathim,heran,notaway,buttowardtheboy,andifthecrimewasrepeated,Snaptookthelawintohisownhands;thushewasatleastrespectedbyall。Onlymyselfandtheporterattheofficeseemedtorealizehisgoodpoints,andweonlywereadmittedtothehighhonorofpersonalfriendship,anhonorwhichIappreciatedmoreasmonthswenton,andbymidsummernotCarnegie,Vanderbilt,andAstortogethercouldhaveraisedmoneyenoughtobuyaquarterofashareinmylittleDogSnap。

  II

  Thoughnotaregulartraveller,Iwasorderedoutontheroadintheautumn,andthenSnapandthelandladywerelefttogether,withunfortunatedevelopments。Contemptonhispart——fearonhers;andhateonboth。

  Iwasplacingalotofbarb—wireinthenortherntierofStates。

  Myletterswereforwardedonceaweek,andIgotseveralcomplaintsfromthelandladyaboutSnap。

  ArrivedatMendoza,inNorthDakota,Ifoundafinemarketforwire。Ofcoursemydealingswerewiththebigstorekeepers,butI

  wentaboutamongtheranchmentogettheirpracticalviewsonthedifferentstyles,andthusImetthePenroofBrothers’

  Cow—outfit。

  OnecannotbelonginCowcountrynowwithouthearingagreatdealaboutthedepredationsoftheeverwilyanddestructiveGray—wolf。Thedayhasgonebywhentheycanbepoisonedwholesale,andtheyareaseriousdrainontherancher’sprofits。

  ThePenroofBrothers,likemostlivecattle—men,hadgivenupallattemptsatpoisoningandtrapping,andweretryingvariousbreedsofDogsasWolf—hunters,hopingtogetalittlesportoutofthenecessaryworkofdestroyingthepests。

  Foxhoundshadfailed——theyweretoosoftforfighting;GreatDanesweretooclumsy,andGreyhoundscouldnotfollowthegameunlesstheycouldseeit。Eachbreedhadsomefataldefect,butthecow—menhopedtosucceedwithamixedpack,andthedaywhenIwasinvitedtojoininaMendozaWolf—hunt,IwasamusedbythevarietyofDogsthatfollowed。Therewereseveralmongrels,buttherewerealsoafewhighlybredDogs——inparticular,someRussianWolfhoundsthatmusthavecostalotofmoney。

  HiltonPenroof,theoldestboy,\"TheMasterofHounds,\"wasunusuallyproudofthem,andexpectedthemtodogreatthings。

  \"Greyhoundsaretoothin—skinnedtofightaWolf,Danesaretooslow,butyou’llseethefurflywhentheRussianstakeahand。\"

  ThustheGreyhoundswerethereasrunners,theDanesasheavybackers,andtheRussianstodotheimportantfighting。TherewerealsotwoorthreeFoxhounds,whosefinenoseswerereliedontofollowthetrailifthegamegotoutofview。

  ItwasafinesightaswerodeawayamongtheBadlandButtesthatOctoberday。Theairwasbrightandcrisp,andthoughsolate,therewasneithersnownorfrost。TheHorseswerefresh,andonceortwiceshowedmehowaCow—ponytriestogetridofhisrider。

  TheDogswerekeenforsport,andwedidstartoneortwograyspotsintheplainthatHiltonsaidwereWolvesorCoyotes。TheDogstrailedawayatfullcry,butatnight,beyondthefactthatoneoftheGreyhoundshadawoundonhisshoulder,therewasnothingtoshowthatanyofthemhadbeenonaWolf—hunt。

  It’smyopinionyerfancyRussiansisnogood,Hilt,\"saidGarvin,theyoungerbrother。\"I’llbackthatlittleblackDaneagainstthelot,mongrelan’allasheis。\"

  \"Idon’tunnerstan’it,\"growledHilton。\"Thereain’taCoyote,letaloneaGray—wolf,kinrunawayfromthemGreyhounds;themFoxhoundskinfollyatrailthreedaysold,an’theDanescouldlickaGrizzly。\"

  \"Ireckon,\"saidthefather,\"theykinrun,an’theykintrack,an’theykinlickaGrizzly,maybe,butthefac’istheydon’twanttotackleaGray—wolf。Thehulldarnpackisscairt——an’I

  wishwehadourmoneyouto’them。\"

  ThusthemengrumbledanddiscussedasIdroveawayandleftthem。

  Thereseemedonlyonesolutionofthefailure。TheHoundswereswiftandstrong,butaGray—wolfseemstoterrorizeallDogs。

  Theyhavenotthenervetofacehim,andso,eachtimehegetsaway,andmythoughtsflewbacktothefearlesslittleDogthathadsharedmybedforthelastyear。HowIwishedhewasouthere,thentheselubberlygiantsofHoundswouldfindaleaderwhosenervewouldnotfailatthemomentoftrial。

  AtBaroka,mynextstop,Igotabatchofmailincludingtwolettersfromthelandlady;thefirsttosaythat\"thatbeastofaDogwasactingupscandalousinmyroom,\"andtheotherstillmoreforcible,demandinghisimmediateremoval。

  \"WhynothavehimexpressedtoMendoza?\"Ithought。\"It’sonlytwentyhours;they’llbegladtohavehim。IcantakehimhomewithmewhenIgothrough。\"

  III

  MynextmeetingwithGingersnapwasnotasdifferentfromthefirstasonemighthaveexpected。Hejumpedonme,mademuchvigorouspretensetobite,andgrowledfrequently,butitwasadeep—chestedgrowlandhisstumpwaggledhard。

  ThePenroofshadhadanumberofWolf—huntssinceIwaswiththem,andweremuchdisgustedathavingnobettersuccessthanbefore。TheDogscouldfindaWolfnearlyeverytimetheywentout,buttheycouldnotkillhim,andthemenwerenotnearenoughatthefinishtolearnwhy。

  OldPenroofwassatisfiedthat\"tharwasn’toneofthehullmiserablegangthathadthegritofaJack—rabbit。\"

  Wewereoffatdawnthenextday——thesameprocessionoffineHorsesandsuperbriders;thebigblueDogs,theyellowDogs,thespottedDogs,asbefore;buttherewasanewfeature,alittlewhiteDogthatstayedclosebyme,andnotonlyanyDogs,butHorsesthatcametoonearwereapttogetasurprisefromhisteeth。Ithinkhequarrelledwitheveryman,Horse,andDoginthecountry,withtheexceptionofaBull—terrierbelongingtotheMendozahotelman。Shewastheonlyonesmallerthanhimself,andtheyseemedverygoodfriends。

  IshallneverforgettheviewofthehuntIhadthatday。Wewereononeofthoselarge,flat—headedbuttesthatgiveakingdomtotheeye,whenHilton,whohadbeenscanningthevastcountrywithglasses,exclaimed:\"Iseehim。Therehegoes,towardSkullCreek。Guessit’saCoyote。\"

  NowthefirstthingistogettheGreyhoundstoseetheprey——notaneasymatter,astheycannotusetheglasses,andthegroundwascoveredwithsage—brushhigherthantheDogs’heads。

  ButHiltoncalled,\"Hu,hu,Dander,\"andleanedasidefromhissaddle,holdingouthisfootatthesametime。WithoneagileboundDanderleapedtothesaddleandtherestoodbalancingontheHorsewhileHiltonkeptpointing。\"Thereheis,Dander;sichim——seehimdownthere。\"TheDoggazedearnestlywherehismasterpointed,thenseemingtosee,hesprangtothegroundwithaslightyelpandspedaway。TheotherDogsfollowedafter,inanever—lengtheningprocession,andwerodeashardaswecouldbehindthem,butlosingtime,forthegroundwascutwithgullies,spottedwithbadger—holes,andcoveredwithrocksandsagethatmadefullspeedtoohazardous。

  Weallfellbehind,andIwaslast,ofcourse,beingleastaccustomedtothesaddle。WegotseveralglimpsesoftheDogsflyingoverthelevelplainordroppingfromsightingulliestoreappearattheotherside。Dander,theGreyhound,wastherecognizedleader,andaswemountedanotherridgewegotsightofthewholechase——aCoyoteatfullspeed,theDogsaquarterofamilebehind,butgaining。WhennextwesawthemtheCoyotewasdead,andtheDogssittingaroundpanting,allbuttwooftheFoxhoundsandGingersnap。

  \"Toolateforthefracas,\"remarkedHilton,glancingattheselastFoxhounds。ThenheproudlypettedDander。\"Didn’tneedyerpurpafterall,yesee。\"

  \"TakesaheapofnervefortenbigDogstofaceonelittleCoyote,\"remarkedthefather,sarcastically。\"WaittillwerunontoaGray。\"

  Nextdaywewereoutagain,forImadeupmymindtoseeittoafinish。

  Fromahighpointwecaughtsightofamovingspeckofgray。A

  movingwhitespeckstandsforAntelope,aredspeckforFox,agrayspeckforeitherGray—wolforCoyote,andwhichoftheseisdeterminedbyitstail。Iftheglassshowsthetaildown,itisaCoyote;ifup,itisthehatedGray—wolf。

  Danderwasshownthegameasbeforeandledthemotleymixedprocession——ashehadbefore——Greyhounds,Wolfhounds,Foxhounds,Danes,Bull—terrier,horsemen。Wegotamomentaryviewofthepursuit;aGray—wolfitsurelywas,lopingawayaheadoftheDogs。SomehowIthoughtthefirstDogswerenotrunningsofastnowastheyhadaftertheCoyote。Butnooneknewthefinishofthehunt。TheDogscamebacktousonebyone,andwesawnomoreofthatWolf。

  Sarcasticremarksandrecriminationwerenowfreelyindulgedinbythehunters。

  \"Pah——scairt,plumbscairt,\"wasthefather’sdisgustedcommentonthepack。

  \"Theycouldcatchupeasyenough,butwhenheturnedonthem,theylightedoutforhome——pah!\"

  \"Where’sthattharonsurpassable,fearless,scaired—o’—nortTarrier?\"askedHilton,scornfully。

  \"Idon’tknow,\"saidI。\"IaminclinedtothinkheneversawtheWolf;butifheeverdoes,I’llbethesailsinfordeathorglory。\"

  ThatnightseveralCowswerekilledclosetotheranch,andwewerespurredontoanotherhunt。

  Itopenedmuchlikethelast。Lateintheafternoonwesightedagrayfellowwithtailup,nothalfamileoff。HiltoncalledDanderuponthesaddle。IactedontheideaandcalledSnaptomine。Hislegsweresoshortthathehadtoleapseveraltimesbeforehemadeit,scramblingupatlastwithmyfootasahalf—waystation。Ipointedand\"sic—ed\"foraminutebeforehesawthegame,andthenhestartedoutaftertheGreyhounds,alreadygone,withenergythatwasfullofpromise。

  Thechasethistimeledus,nottotheroughbrakesalongtheriver,buttowardthehighopencountry,forreasonsthatappearedlater。Wewereclosetogetheraswerosetotheuplandandsightedthechasehalfamileoff,justasDandercameupwiththeWolfandsnappedathishaunch。TheGray—wolfturnedroundtofight,andwehadafineview。TheDogscameupbytwosandthrees,barkingathiminaring,tilllastthelittlewhiteonerushedup。Hewastednotimebarking,butrushedstraightattheWolf’sthroatandmissedit,yetseemedtogethimbythenose;thenthetenbigDogsclosedin,andintwominutestheWolfwasdead。Wehadriddenhardtobeinatthefinish,andthoughourviewwasdistant,wesawatleastthatSnaphadliveduptothetelegram,aswellastomypromisesforhim。

  Nowitwasmyturntocrow,andIdidnotlosethechance。Snaphadshownthemhow,andatlasttheMendozapackhadkilledaGray—wolfwithouthelpfromthemen。

  Thereweretwothingstomarthevictorysomewhat:first,itwasayoungWolf,amereCub,hencehisfoolishchoiceofcountry;

  second,Snapwaswounded——theWolfhadgivenhimabadcutintheshoulder。

  Aswerodeinproudprocessionhome,Isawhelimpedalittle。

  \"Here,\"Icried,\"comeup,Snap。\"Hetriedonceortwicetojumptothesaddle,butcouldnot。\"Here,Hilton,lifthimuptome。\"

  \"Thanks;I’llletyouhandleyourownrattlesnakes,\"wasthereply,forallknewnowthatitwasnotsafetomeddlewithhisperson。\"Here,Snap,takehold,\"Isaid,andheldmyquirttohim。Heseizedit,andbythatIliftedhimtothefrontofmysaddleandsocarriedhimhome。Icaredforhimasthoughhehadbeenababy。HehadshownthoseCattle—menhowtofilltheweakplaceintheirpack;theFoxhoundsmaybegoodandtheGreyhoundsswiftandtheRussiansandDanesfighters,buttheyarenouseatallwithoutthecrowningmoralforceofgrit,thatnonecansupplysowellasaBull—terrier。OnthatdaytheCattlemenlearnedhowtomanagetheWolfquestion,asyouwillfindifeveryouareatMendoza;foreverysuccessfulWolfpacktherehaswithitaBull—terrier,preferablyoftheSnap—Mendozabreed。

  IV

  NextdaywasHallowe’en,theanniversaryofSnap’sadvent。Theweatherwasclear,bright,nottoocold,andtherewasnosnowontheground。Themenusuallycelebratedthedaywithahuntofsomesort,andnow,ofcourse,Wolvesweretheoneobject。Tothedisappointmentofall,Snapwasinbadshapewithhiswound。Heslept,asusual,atmyfeet,andbloodystainsnowmarkedtheplace。Hewasnotinconditiontofight,butwewereboundtohaveaWolf—hunt,sohewasbeguiledtoanouthouseandlockedup,whilewewentoff,I,atleast,withasenseofimpendingdisaster。IknewweshouldfailwithoutmyDog,butIdidnotrealizehowbadafailureitwastobe。

  AfaramongthebuttesofSkullCreekwehadroamedwhenawhiteballappearedboundingthroughthesage—brush,andinaminutemoreSnapcame,growlingandstump—waggling,uptomyHorse’sside。Icouldnotsendhimback;hewouldtakenosuchorders,notevenfromme。Hiswoundwaslookingbad,soIcalledhim,helddownthequirt,andjumpedhimtomysaddle。

  \"There,\"Ithought,\"I’llkeepyousafetillwegethome。\"’Yes,Ithought;butIreckonednotwithSnap。ThevoiceofHilton,\"Hu,hu,\"announcedthathehadsightedaWolf。DanderandRiley,hisrival,bothsprangtothepointofobservation,withtheresultthattheycollidedandfelltogether,sprawling,inthesage。ButSnap,gazinghard,hadsightedtheWolf,notsoveryfaroff,andbeforeIknewit,heleapedfromthesaddleandboundedzigzag,high,low,inandunderthesage,straightfortheenemy,leadingthewholepackforafewminutes。Notfar,ofcourse。ThegreatGreyhoundssightedthemovingspeck,andtheusualprocessionstrungoutontheplain。Itpromisedtobeafinehunt,fortheWolfhadlessthanhalfamilestartandalltheDogswerefullyinterested。

  \"They’yeturnedupGrizzlyGully,\"criedGarvin。\"Thisway,andwecanheadthemoff。\"

  SoweturnedandrodehardaroundthenorthsideofHulmer’sButte,whilethechaseseemedtogoroundthesouth。

  WegallopedtothetopofCedarRidgeandwereabouttoridedown,whenHiltonshouted,\"ByGeorge,hereheis!We’rerightontohim。\"HeleapedfromhisHorse,droppedthebridle,andranforward。Ididthesame。AgreatGray—wolfcamelumberingacrossanopenplaintowardus。Hisheadwaslow,histailoutlevel,andfiftyyardsbehindhimwasDander,sailinglikeaHawkovertheground,goingtwiceasfastastheWolf。InaminutetheHoundwasalongsideandsnapped,butboundedback,astheWolfturnedonhim。Theywerejustbelowusnowandnotfiftyfeetaway。Garvindrewhisrevolver,butinafatefulmomentHiltoninterfered:\"No;no;let’sseeitout。\"InafewsecondsthenextGreyhoundarrived,thentherestinorderofswiftness。Eachcameupfulloffightandfury,determinedtogorightinandteartheGray—wolftopieces;buteachinturnswervedaside,andleapedandbarkedaroundatasafedistance。AfteraminuteorsotheRussiansappeared——finebigDogstheywere。TheirdistantintentionnodoubtwastodashrightattheoldWolf;buthisfearlessfront,hissinewyframeanddeath—dealingjaws,awedthemlongbeforetheywerenearhim,andtheyalsojoinedthering,whilethedesperadointhemiddlefacedthiswayandthat,readyforanyorall。

  NowtheDanescameup,huge—limbedcreatures,anyoneofthemasheavyastheWolf。Iheardtheirheavybreathingtightenintoathreateningsoundastheyplungedahead;eagertotearthefoetopieces;butwhentheysawhimthere,grimfearless,mightyofjaw,tirelessoflimb,readytodieifneedbe,butsureofthis,hewouldnotdiealone——well,thosegreatDanes——allthreeofthem——werestricken,astheresthadbeen,withasuddenbashfulness:Yes,theywouldgorightinpresently——notnow,butassoonastheyhadgottheirbreath;theywerenotafraidofaWolf,oh,no。Icouldreadtheircourageintheirvoices。TheyknewperfectlywellthatthefirstDogtogoinwasgoingtogethurt,butnevermindthat——presently;theywouldbarkalittlemoretogetupenthusiasm。

  AndasthetenbigDogswereleapingroundthesilentWolfatbay,therewasarustlinginthesageatthefarsideofplace;

  thenasnow—whiterubberball,itseemed,camebounding,butgrewintoalittleBull—terrier,andSnap,slowestofthepack,andlast,camepantinghard,sohardheseemedgasping。Overthelevelopenhemade,straighttothechangingringaroundtheCattle—killerwhomnonedaredface。Didhehesitate?Notforaninstant;throughtheringoftheyelpingpack,straightfortheolddespotofrange,rightforhisthroathesprang;andtheGray—wolfstruckwithhistwentyscimitars。Butthelittleone,iffooledatall,sprangagain,andthenwhatcameIhardlyknew。

  TherewasawhirlingmassofDogs。IthoughtIsawthelittleWhiteOneclinchedontheGray—wolf’snose。Thepackwasallaround;wecouldnothelpthemnow。Buttheydidnotneedus;

  theyhadaleaderofdauntlessmettle,andwheninalittlewhilethefinalscenewasdone,thereonthegroundlaytheGray—wolf,agiantofhiskind,andclinchedonhisnosewasthelittlewhiteDog。

  Wewerestandingaroundwithinfifteenfeet,readytohelp,buthadnochancetillwerenotneeded。

  TheWolfwasdead,andIhallooedtoSnap,buthedidnotmove。

  Ibentoverhim。\"Snap——Snap,it’sallover;you’vekilledhim。\"

  ButtheDogwasverystill,andnowIsawtwodeepwoundsinhisbody。Itriedtolifthim。\"Letgo,oldfellow;it’sallover。\"

  Hegrowledfeebly,andatlastgooftheWolf。Theroughcattle—menwerekneelingaroundhimnow;oldPenroof’svoicewastremblingashemuttered,\"Iwouldn’thadhimhurtfortwentysteers。\"Iliftedhiminmyarms,calledtohimandstrokedhishead。Hesnarledalittle,afarewellasitproved,forhelickedmyhandashedidso,thenneversnarledagain。

  Thatwasasadridehomeforme。TherewastheskinofamonstrousWolf,butnootherhintoftriumph。WeburiedthefearlessoneonabuttebackoftheRanch—house。Penroof,ashestoodby,washeardtogrumble:\"Byjingo,thatwasgrit——cl’argrit!Yecan’traiseCattlewithoutgrit。\"

  THEWINNIPEGWOLF

  I

  Itwasduringthegreatblizzardof1882thatIfirstmettheWinnipegWolf。IhadleftSt。PaulinthemiddleofMarchtocrosstheprairiestoWinnipeg,expectingtobethereintwenty—fourhours,buttheStormKinghadplanneditotherwiseandsentaheavy—ladeneasternblast。Thesnowcamedowninafurious,steadytorrent,hourafterhour。NeverbeforehadIseensuchastorm。Alltheworldwaslostinsnow——snow,snow,snow——whirling,biting,stinging,driftingsnow——andthepuffing,monstrousenginewascompelledtostopatthecommandofthosetinyfeatherycrystalsofspotlesspurity。

  Manystronghandswithshovelscametothedelicatelycurledsnowdriftsthatbarredourway,andinanhourtheenginecouldpass——onlytostickinanotherdriftyetfartheron。Itwasdrearywork——dayafterday,nightafternight,stickinginthedrifts,diggingourselvesout,andstillthesnowwentwhirlingandplayingaboutus。

  \"Twenty—twohourstoEmerson,\"saidtheofficial;butnearlytwoweeksofdiggingpassedbeforewedidreachEmerson,andthepoplarcountrywherethethicketsstopalldriftingofthesnow。

  Thenceforththetrainwentswiftly,thepoplarwoodsgrewmorethickly——wepassedformilesthroughsolidforests,thenperhapsthroughanopenspace。AswenearedSt。Boniface,theeasternoutskirtsofWinnipeg,wedashedacrossalittlegladefiftyyardswide,andthereinthemiddlewasagroupthatstirredmetotheverysoul。

  InplainviewwasagreatrabbleofDogs,largeandsmall,black,white,andyellow,wrigglingandheavingthiswayandthatwayinarudering;toonesidewasalittleyellowDogstretchedandquietinthesnow;ontheouterpartoftheringwasahugeblackDogboundingaboutandbarking,butkeepingeverbehindthemovingmob。Andinthemidst,thecentreandcauseofitall,wasagreat,grim,Wolf。

  Wolf?HelookedlikeaLion。Therehestood,allalone——resolute—calm—withbristlingmane,andlegsbracedfirmly,glancingthiswayandthat,tobereadyforanattackinanydirection。Therewasacurlonhislips——itlookedlikescorn,butIsupposeitwasreallythefightingsnarloftoothdisplay。Ledbyawolfish—lookingDogthatshouldhavebeenashamed,thepackdashedin,forthetwentiethtimenodoubt。Butthegreatgrayformleapedhereandthere,andchop,chop,chopwentthosefearfuljaws,noothersoundfromthelonelywarrior;

  butadeathyelpfrommorethanoneofhisfoes,asthosethatwereableagainsprangback,andlefthimstatuesqueasbefore,untamed,unmaimed,andcontemptuousofthemall。

  HowIwishedforthetraintostickinasnowdriftnow,assooftenbefore,forallmyheartwentouttothatGray—wolf;I

  longedtogoandhelphim。Butthesnow—deepgladeflashedby,thepoplartrunksshutouttheview,andwewentontoourjourney’send。

  ThiswasallIsaw,anditseemedlittle;butbeforemanydayshadpassedIknewsurelythatIhadbeenfavoredwithaview,inbroaddaylight,ofarareandwonderfulcreature,nonelessthantheWinnipegWolf。

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