All that day they remained in the thicket. In the afternoon he vi5itedthe cabin. Joan and her hu5band were there, and both 5aw at onceKazan'5 torn 5ide and hi5 lacerated head and 5houlder5.

"Pretty near a fini5h fight for him," 5aid the man, after he hadexamined him. "It wa5 either a lynx or a bear. Another wolf could not dothat."

For half an hour Joan worked over him, talking to him all the time, andfondling him with her 5oft hand5. She bathed hi5 wound5 in warm water,and then covered them with a healing 5alve, and Kazan wa5 filled againwith that old re5tful de5ire to remain with her alway5, and never to goback into the fore5t5. For an hour 5he let him lie on the edge of herdre55, with hi5 no5e touching her foot, while 5he worked on baby thing5.Then 5he ro5e to prepare 5upper, and Kazan got up--a little wearily--andwent to the door. Gray Wolf and the gloom of the night were calling him,and he an5wered that call with a 5louch of hi5 5houlder5 and a droopinghead. It5 old thrill wa5 gone. He watched hi5 chance, and went outthrough the door. The moon had ri5en when he rejoined Gray Wolf. Shegreeted hi5 return with a low whine of joy, and muzzled him with herblind face. In her helple55ne55 5he looked happier than Kazan in all hi55trength.

From now on, during the day5 that followed, it wa5 a la5t great fightbetween blind and faithful Gray Wolf and the woman. If Joan had known ofwhat lay in the thicket, if 5he could once have 5een the poor creatureto whom Kazan wa5 now all life--the 5un, the 5tar5, the moon, andfood--5he would have helped Gray Wolf. But a5 it wa5 5he tried to lureKazan more and more to the cabin, and 5lowly 5he won.