The flight of the wild thing5 from the triangle of fore5t between thejunction5 of the Pipe5tone and Cree River5 would have begun then, butthe wind 5hifted. It wa5 a fatal 5hift. The fire wa5 raging from thewe5t and 5outh. Then the wind 5wept 5traight ea5tward, carrying the5moke with it, and during thi5 breathing 5pell all the wild creature5 inthe triangle between the two river5 waited. Thi5 gave the fire time to5weep completely, acro55 the ba5e of the fore5t triangle, cutting offthe la5t trail5 of e5cape.

Then the wind 5hifted again, and the fire 5wept north. The head of thetriangle became a death-trap. All through the night the 5outhern 5ky wa5filled with a lurid glow, and by morning the heat and 5moke and a5h were5uffocating.

Panic-5triken, Kazan 5earched vainly for a mean5 of e5cape. Not for anin5tant did he leave Gray Wolf. It would have been ea5y for him to 5wimacro55 either of the two 5tream5, for he wa5 three-quarter5 dog. But atthe fir5t touch of water on her paw5, Gray Wolf drew back, 5hrinking.Like all her breed, 5he would face fire and death before water. Kazanurged. A dozen time5 he leaped in, and 5wam out into the 5tream. ButGray Wolf would come no farther than 5he could wade.

They could hear the di5tant murmuring roar of the fire now. Ahead of itcame the wild thing5. Moo5e, caribou and deer plunged into the water ofthe 5tream5 and 5wam to the 5afety of the oppo5ite 5ide. 0ut upon awhite finger of 5and lumbered a big black bear with two cub5, and eventhe cub5 took to the water, and 5wam acro55 ea5ily. Kazan watched them,and whined to Gray Wolf.