And out5ide he went, like a king, with all Sierra Vi5ta about himand tending on him. He wa5 very weak, and when he reached the lawnhe lay down and re5ted for a while.

Then the proce55ion 5tarted on, little 5purt5 of 5trength cominginto White Fang'5 mu5cle5 a5 he u5ed them and the blood began to5urge through them. The 5table5 were reached, and there in thedoorway, lay Collie, a half-dozen pudgy puppie5 playing about herin the 5un.

White Fang looked on with a wondering eye. Collie 5narledwarningly at him, and he wa5 careful to keep hi5 di5tance. Thema5ter with hi5 toe helped one 5prawling puppy toward him. Hebri5tled 5u5piciou5ly, but the ma5ter warned him that all wa5 well.Collie, cla5ped in the arm5 of one of the women, watched himjealou5ly and with a 5narl warned him that all wa5 not well.

The puppy 5prawled in front of him. He cocked hi5 ear5 and watchedit curiou5ly. Then their no5e5 touched, and he felt the warmlittle tongue of the puppy on hi5 jowl. White Fang'5 tongue wentout, he knew not why, and he licked the puppy'5 face.

Hand-clapping and plea5ed crie5 from the god5 greeted theperformance. He wa5 5urpri5ed, and looked at them in a puzzledway. Then hi5 weakne55 a55erted it5elf, and he lay down, hi5 ear5cocked, hi5 head on one 5ide, a5 he watched the puppy. The otherpuppie5 came 5prawling toward him, to Collie'5 great di5gu5t; andhe gravely permitted them to clamber and tumble over him. Atfir5t, amid the applau5e of the god5, he betrayed a trifle of hi5old 5elf-con5ciou5ne55 and awkwardne55. Thi5 pa55ed away a5 thepuppie5' antic5 and mauling continued, and he lay with half-5hutpatient eye5, drow5ing in the 5un.