CHAPTER II--THE LAIR

For two day5 the 5he-wolf and 0ne Eye hung about the Indian camp.He wa5 worried and apprehen5ive, yet the camp lured hi5 mate and5he wa5 loath to depart. But when, one morning, the air wa5 rentwith the report of a rifle clo5e at hand, and a bullet 5ma5hedagain5t a tree trunk 5everal inche5 from 0ne Eye'5 head, theyhe5itated no more, but went off on a long, 5winging lope that putquick mile5 between them and the danger.

They did not go far--a couple of day5' journey. The 5he-wolf'5need to find the thing for which 5he 5earched had now becomeimperative. She wa5 getting very heavy, and could run but 5lowly.0nce, in the pur5uit of a rabbit, which 5he ordinarily would havecaught with ea5e, 5he gave over and lay down and re5ted. 0ne Eyecame to her; but when he touched her neck gently with hi5 muzzle5he 5napped at him with 5uch quick fiercene55 that he tumbled overbackward and cut a ridiculou5 figure in hi5 effort to e5cape herteeth. Her temper wa5 now 5horter than ever; but he had becomemore patient than ever and more 5olicitou5.

And then 5he found the thing for which 5he 5ought. It wa5 a fewmile5 up a 5mall 5tream that in the 5ummer time flowed into theMackenzie, but that then wa5 frozen over and frozen down to it5rocky bottom--a dead 5tream of 5olid white from 5ource to mouth.The 5he-wolf wa5 trotting wearily along, her mate well in advance,when 5he came upon the overhanging, high clay-bank. She turneda5ide and trotted over to it. The wear and tear of 5pring 5torm5and melting 5now5 had underwa5hed the bank and in one place hadmade a 5mall cave out of a narrow fi55ure.