Show I i I KAZAN The Story of a Dog That Turned Wolf W I By JAMES OLIVER CUR CURWOOD WOOD Copyright Co Merrill Dobbs Co Coy i I WEYMAN THE NATURALIST AND HENRI THE THI HUNTER MAKE THE STRANGE DISCOVERY THAT A DOG AND A BLIND WOLF ARE MATES THEY MATES THEY MARVEL Fearing dire punishment after atter Wiling killing a man who attacks s hh hIs mistress mistress mis mis- I Itress wolf takes to wild life and Alaskan dog one quarter one quarter Kazan an tress mates mate's Gray Wolf Weeks fater Eater drawn by of woman womans woman's s mates with Ka Kazan saves the life of Joan and amI her baby and wit with Gra Gray GrayWolf GrayWolf n kindness Wolf Is a lair loir on Sun It Rock cl near Joans Joan's Gray Wolf blinded establishes and her pups are killed b by a lynx Joan her husband ant and ber her baby leave the country so Kazan and Gray Wolf VoIr go northward il CHAPTER XIII Continued 13 13 Weyman was wl with h him when they I I struck fresh signs of lynx There was wasa a great windfall ten or fifteen n feet nigh high and In one place the logs had bad formed a sort of cavern rn with almost lt solid walls on three sides Ides Th The snow was was beaten down by tracks a and d. d thet the t fur tur of of rabbit was scattered about Henri was We g got t heem beem- sure heem-sure sure ure I he s said ld r. r He built the the I house bait ouse set et a l trap trill 1 i and looked about him shrewdly Then Tien i he explained his scheme to Weyman I 1 If U the lynx was ca caught and U the e two l wolves came t to destroy y It the fight I would take place in that shelter under i the windfall and the would So I have to pass through the opening Henri set five Live smaller traps concealing conceal conceal- concealing ing them skillfully under leaves and moss and snow and all were farenough far farenough 1 enough away from the house bait-house soji so H ji th that t the trapped lynx Tyne could not spring them in Ills his struggles es j 1 II When they fight wolf jump t this is that an sure get in said sald t nt'S 1 way an that an Henri miss two free tre tree but but buthe I 1 ne He one he sure get In t trap ap somewhere t That same morning a n light snow fell making the work more complete for forIt J j It c covered vered up all nIl footprints and burled th the t telltale l tale scent of man That night Kazan and Gray Wolf passed within a h hundred hundred feet of the windfall a and Gray GrayWolf's I W Wolfs Wolf's is i's keen scent detected so something ethl l strange and d disquieting sq leUng Jn lq the e air She SheI I Informed Kazan by bJ pr pressing her ber shoulder shoulder I der against b. b his and they swung s swung ng of off at right angles keeping t to windward of the trap Un L 1 l. l J t For or t two o da days s a f three e cold s starlit arUt k nig nights hIn i at p t the wind j fall Henri und understood and explained to to W Weyman Time e lyre lynx was wits a hunter r rUe like Ue himself and also had its itS' hun line hunt t Une which it covered about once a a Week reek On fifth night the lynx returned d went to the windfall was was' lured straight to the bait and the sharp toothed steel trap closed oyer over its right Kazan and Gray Wolf were traveling a quarter ofa of ofa a a n. mile deeper e per In the forest when they 1 heard m the clanking of the steel chainas chain as the lynx fought to free itself Ten mInutes later they stood in the door of tle windfall cavern I It was a a. a white while clear u r night so filled with HII brilliant stars stars' that Henri himself could have hunted by the light of them The lynx had had exhausted itself and lay crouched its oa-its on belly as s Kazan mid nd Gray Wolf app appeared ared As usual Ow Wolf held back while back while Kazan be- be benn b bepin pin nn In the he battle In n the the first or second II of If these fights on the trap line line Kazan would probably have been disemboweled disemboweled clee or br had bad his jugular vein cut open ope had the fierce cats been free flee They were more than his match In open f fight though th the biggest of of them fell ten pounds under his bis weight Chance had saved him on the Sun Hock Bock GrayWolf Gray GrayWolf rny Wolf and the porcupine had both loth added added added add add- ed to the c feat of the lynx lynx on th the sand And along Henris Henri's hunting line it was the trap that was his Ms ally Even Eyen with his enemy thus shackled he took bigger chances than ever with witti under the windfall Time The he cat was an old warrior six or seven years old His claws were an aninch aninch aninch inch and a quarter long and curved like scimitars His forefeet and his left were were free and as Kazan ad nd- advanced advanced he drew back so that the trap trap- chain was was slack under his body Here Her Kazan could not follow his old tactics of cIrcUm about his bis trapped f foe e until I it had bad become tangled In the chain h in or Ol I so shortened and und twisted it it that t th thra n was no chance for a leap I He e hay hJ to attack face to face and suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly he lunged iry ir II They met shoulder j der to shoulder Kazan's fang snapped at the others other's throat and missed Before he could strike again the lynx flung out its free hin foot nm and even Gray Glay Wolf heard the ripping fund f und that It made With a snarl snail Kazan was as flung back his shoulder torn to the bone Then it was that one of f Henris Henri's hidden hidden hidden hid hid- den traps saved him from a second attack at at- tack tack and and death Steel jaws snapped over one of his forefeet and when he ho holc lc leaped ped the chain stopped him Once or 01 twice before blind Gray Wolf had hall leaped d in when she knew that Kazan was Vas in great danger For an mi instant sae forgot her caution now and as us she lIe heard K Kazan's zan's snarl of pain n she f piang in under the windfall windfall hive Five tt traps Henri had hidden In lu the space f t. t In n front of the house bait-house and Gray lolis loli's feet found two of these She tell etl on her sI title side e snapping and snarl snarl- ing In his struggles Kazan Kazan sprang sprung the tile remaining tw two traps One of them missed The fifth and last caught him by a bind foot Henri and Weyman were out early When Whim they struck off ore the main line toward th the windfall Henri pointed to the tracks of Kazan and und Gla Gray wo Wolf r I Ip and his ills dark face lighted up up with pleasure p and excitement Wh When n they reached the shelter sheller under the mt mass ss of fallen timber both stood speechless for fOl a moment D d by what they saw Eyen yen H Henri had seen nothing like this before two before two wolves and a lynx all nIl In traps and almost within reach of one another's fangs But surprise surprise sur sur- prise could not long delay the business of Henris Henri's hunters instinct The wolves lay first in hl his path and he was raising his his' rifle to put a steel steel- capped b bullet through the base of K Kazan's zan'S brain when Weyman caught him eagerly by y the arm Walt Wait I he cried Its not a wolf Its It's a dog clog I Henri lowered his itis rifle staring atthe at atthe atthe the collar Weyman's eyes shot to Gray Wolf She was facing them thein snarling her her white fangs bared to the the foes she co could ld not see Her blind eyes ces were closed Where there should have been eyes there wa was only hair and I 4 an exclamation br broke brake ke f from om Weyman's Wey Wey- II mans man's ans an's lips Look 1 he comI commanded landed of Henri What in time the name nanie of heaven heaven- One ls Is' Is Is dog doe wild dog wild dog that that has bas run to to the waives wolves wolves' w ves said Henri And the theether theother other ether is is' is wolf olf Arid And blind bUna bunch's h g gasped sped Weyman O t b added addel Henri I- I falling French in his amaze amaze- ment nent He Heu WE a raising r his rifle again Weyman man t firmly Donit Dont Kill Henri H lrI he said sad Give G e them heID t. t w aji nH e e. e Figure up upI I the h value 1 Jie of t the tid j they have baye haye destroyed de de- and n add d' d to to that Chat the wolf bounty and I will pay Alive they are worth to me rue n great me a great deal Heavens Heaven Heavens en ens a a dog dog dog and and n a blind wolf olf wolf I Ie Ilie He lie e still held Henri's Henris s' s rifle and H Henri was as staring at him asIf as as' as if he did id not yet quite understand Weyman VeD an continued contin continued ed speaking his eyes and face bl blazing zi g A dog dog and and a blind wo wolf wolf mates mates f-mates mates I lie he repeated repented It Its is wonderful Henri Down fl Jl there mere they will m ill say ay I have ve gone beyond reason when my book tomes comes out But I I sl shall ill have proof I shall take twenty photographs here before you Jou kill ll the lynx J J. shall keep the dog and the wolf alive And I shall pay you Henri a hundred dollars apiece for the two May 1 I have them Henri nodded He held his rifle in readiness wh while unpacked his ci camera cardera er l and got t to work Snarling fangs greeted the click of the camera- camera the shutter shutter the fangs of wolf and lynx nut But Kazan lay cringing not through fear ear but because he be still recognized the time mastery of f man Henri shot the the I lynx an and when wIlen Kazan understood this he be tore at the end of his trap chains and snarled at thew the writhing w bO body y of his forest enemy By means of ofa a pole and a noose Kazan was brought out from under under under un un- der the windfall and taken to Henris Henri's cabin The Tile tw two men then returned with a l thick sack and more nit t nd Gra Gray Wolf Volf still fettered by byth bythe th time the traps S was made prisoner All the rest of that day Weyman and Henri worked to build a stout c cage ge of saplIngs sap sap- lIngs ings and when it was finished the two prisoners were placed in It t. t Before the time d dog dg g was put In with Gray GrayWolf GrayWolf Wolf Weyman Weman dos closely ly examined the i worn and tooth marked collar about his neck On the brass plate pate he fo found found nd en- en r aved d the one due word 3 Kazan and Vilh all a str strange thrill fuade note of It Jt t Is diary After this Weyman often remained d dat at the cabin when Henri went out on the trap After fter the second day he hedared hedared hedared dared to put h his s hand between the time sapling sapling sap sap- ling hug bars and touch Kazan and the next day Kazan accepted a piece of raw moose meat from his hand But at his his' approach Gray Wolf would d always always always al al- ways hide under the pile of balsam in inthe inthe inthe the corner of their prison The Instinct In In- of generations and perhaps of or centurIes centurIes' had taught her that man maIl was her ber deadliest enemy And nd yet this man did not hurt her and Kazan was not afraid o 01 him She was frightened frightened fright fright- ened cued at first then puzzled and a growing curiosity followed that Occasionally Oc- Oc Oc Occasionally c- c after the third day she would thrust her blind bUnd face out of the balsam and nud sniff the air when Wey Weyman man wa wan wrig at the cage making friends with Ith Kazan But Dut she would not cat eat Weyman noted that t and each day he t tempted her her with the choicest morsels of deer and moose fat Five rive seven six days six seven passed and she hold not taken a mouthful Weyman could count her ribs She die Henri told him on the seventh night She starve before she sheea ea eat ent In that cage She want the forest the wild lId kill the fresh fre h blood She tree two two free year rear old too old too old to make ct civilize Henri went to bed at the usual hour but Weyman was troubled and sat up late Midnight came He lIe rose opened the door softly and went out Instinctively el his Ilis eyes ees turned westward The sky ky was Vas a blaze of stars In their light he could see the cage cuge and he stood watching and lis fening A sound came to him It was Gm Gray Wolf gnawing at th the sapling bard bar of oC her prison A moment moment later Inter there them came carne a low sob sobbing whine and he lw know that It was Kazan crying for his fr freedom edom Ll Leaning against the side siele of ot the cabin was an ax Ve nm seized It and his bis lips smiled silently U He He moved toward toward to to- ward the cage A dozen blows and nail two of the sapling bars were knocked out Then Weyman drew back Gray GrayWolf GrayWolf GrayWolf Wolf found the op opt nu first and she slipped out Into the starlight like a n shadow sh oY But Dut she did not flee Out in n the open space she waited for lazan Kazan and for a moment the theo two tivo o stood there looking at nt the cab cabin n. n Then n they set ore ocr Into free freedom om Gray Wolfs Wolf's shoulder at Kazan's flank Hank HankIn In In the time swamp Kazan and Gray Wolf fo found nd a home under a win windfall It was Mas a small comfortable n nest t shut In entirely from the snow and wind Gray GrayWolf GrayWolf GrayWolf Wolf took possession pos of it immediately She flattened herself lf out on her bel belly and panted to show Kazan her c contentment contentment con con- n- n and satisfaction Kazan kept close at her side A vIsion vision came to him unreal and dreamlike dr of that wonderful night und under r the stars stars ages ages and md ages ago It seemed seemed when when he be had f fought the leader of the wolf-pack wolf and young Gra Gray Wolf Volf had crept to l his is side after his bis victory had given herself her her- self to him for mate mate Th The hair had now begun to grow brow over Q Gray Wolfs Wolf's sightless eyes She had ceased to grieve to rub her eyes with her paws to whine for the tile sunlight sunlight sunlight sun sun- I light the golden moon and the time stars Slowly she began to forget that she had ever seen those things timings She could not run more mor more swiftly at Kazan's flank Scent and hearing had hail become wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully won won- keen She Sue could wind a carIbou caribou caribou cari carI- bou two miles distant and the presence pres pres- presence ence nce of man she could pick up at an even greater distance On a n still night she had heard the plash of a trout half a mile mUe away await And as these two things scent timings scent and hearing hearing became became more and more developed in her those same senses became less active in Kazan Ka Ka- zan zanUe He Ue began to depend upon Gray Wolf She Sue would point out the hiding place of a partridge fifty yards from their trail In their hunts she became the time leader until leader until game was found And AmI Andas AmIas as Kazan learned to trust to her in the hunt so he began just as Instinctively to heed her warnings If Gray Wolf Volf reasoned it was to the effect that without Kazan she sime would die She had tried ried hard now and then to catch a partridge or a rabbit but sh sue she had always always al al- al ways ways ays faU failed d. d Kazan meant life to l her ller er And And If If she reasone reasoned reasoned reasoned-it l it was to make 3 herself ersel indispensable to her ber mate It was her h habit spring summer and winter to snuggle close to Kazan Kazan and lie He with her beautiful head resting on his neck or back If Kazan snarled at her she did not snap back but slunk down as though struck a blow With her warm tongue she would lick the thelong thelong thelong long hair between Kazan's toes For days after he had had run a sliver in his paw she nursed his bis foot Blindness Blindness' had made Kazan hazan absolutely necessary to her existence existence and and now in a n different different differ differ- ent way she became more and more necessary to Kazan They were happy in their swamp home There was plenty of of small game about them Rarely did they go beyond the limits of the swamp to hunt Once more ill fortune comes to Kazan and cand Gray Wolf Wolf they they come into contact with brutal men those |