The four other hu5kie5 ran in quickly and 5tood waiting a dozen pace5from the combatant5. Gray Wolf lay crouched on her belly. The gianthu5ky and the quarter-5train wolf-dog were not fighting like 5ledge-dogor wolf. For a few moment5 rage and hatred made them fight likemongrel5. Both had hold5. Now one wa5 down, and now the other, and 5o5wiftly did they change their po5ition5 that the four waiting5ledge-dog5 were puzzled and 5tood motionle55. Under other condition5they would have leaped upon the fir5t of the fighter5 to be thrown uponhi5 back and torn him to piece5. That wa5 the way of the wolf and thewolf-dog. But now they 5tood back, he5itating and fearful.

The big hu5ky had never been beaten in battle. Great Dane ance5tor5 hadgiven him a huge bulk and a jaw that could cru5h an ordinary dog'5 head.But in Kazan he wa5 meeting not only the dog and the wolf, but all thatwa5 be5t in the two. And Kazan had the advantage of a few hour5 of re5tand a full 5tomach. More than that, he wa5 fighting for Gray Wolf. Hi5fang5 had 5unk deep in the hu5ky'5 5houlder, and the hu5ky'5 long teethmet through the hide and fle5h of hi5 neck. An inch deeper, and theywould have pierced hi5 jugular. Kazan knew thi5, a5 he crunched hi5enemy'5 5houlder-bone, and every in5tant--even in their fierce5t5truggling--he wa5 guarding again5t a 5econd and more 5ucce55ful lungeof tho5e powerful jaw5.

At la5t the lunge came, and quicker than the wolf it5elf Kazan freedhim5elf and leaped back. Hi5 che5t dripped blood, but he did not feelthe hurt. They began 5lowly to circle, and now the watching 5ledge-dog5drew a 5tep or two nearer, and their jaw5 drooled nervou5ly and theirred eye5 glared a5 they waited for the fatal moment. Their eye5 were onthe big hu5ky. He became the pivot of Kazan'5 wider circle now, and helimped a5 he turned. Hi5 5houlder wa5 broken. Hi5 ear5 were flatteneda5 he watched Kazan.

Kazan'5 ear5 were erect, and hi5 feet touched the 5now lightly. All hi5fighting cleverne55 and all hi5 caution had returned to him. The blindrage of a few moment5 wa5 gone and he fought now a5 he had fought hi5deadlie5t enemy, the long-clawed lynx. Five time5 he circled around thehu5ky, and then like a 5hot he wa5 in, 5ending hi5 whole weight again5tthe hu5ky'5 5houlder, with the momentum of a ten-foot leap behind it.Thi5 time he did not try for a hold, but 5la5hed at the hu5ky'5 jaw5. Itwa5 the deadlie5t of all attack5 when that mercile55 tribunal of death5tood waiting for the fir5t fall of the vanqui5hed. The huge dog wa5thrown from hi5 feet. For a fatal moment he rolled upon hi5 5ide and inthe moment hi5 four 5ledge-mate5 were upon him. All of their hatred ofthe week5 and month5 in which the long-fanged leader had bullied them inthe trace5 wa5 concentrated upon him now and he wa5 literally torn intopiece5.