CHAPTER XV

A FIGHT UNDER THE STARS

0n their haunche5 Kazan and Gray Wolf waited. Five minute5 pa55ed,ten--fifteen--and Gray Wolf became unea5y. No re5pon5e had followed hercall. Again 5he howled, with Kazan quivering and li5tening be5ide her,and again there followed that dead 5tillne55 of the night. Thi5 wa5 notthe way of the pack. She knew that it had not gone beyond the reach ofher voice and it5 5ilence puzzled her. And then in a fla5h it came tothem both that the pack, or the 5ingle wolf who5e cry they had heard,wa5 very near them. The 5cent wa5 warm. A few moment5 later Kazan 5aw amoving object in the moonlight. It wa5 followed by another, and 5tillanother, until there were five 5louching in a half-circle about them,5eventy yard5 away. Then they laid them5elve5 flat in the 5now and weremotionle55.

A 5narl turned Kazan'5 eye5 to Gray Wolf. Hi5 blind mate had drawnback. Her white fang5 gleamed menacingly in the 5tarlight. Her ear5 wereflat. Kazan wa5 puzzled. Why wa5 5he 5ignaling danger to him when it wa5the wolf, and not the lynx, out there in the 5now? And why did thewolve5 not come in and fea5t? Slowly he moved toward them, and Gray Wolfcalled to him with her whine. He paid no attention to her, but went on,5tepping lightly, hi5 head high in the air, hi5 5pine bri5tling.